From the Eyes of the Twilight Princess
by Ferngirl
Summary: Here's your favorite Zelda game, from your favorite little imp's point of view. Midna!
1. Stolen Twilight

Chapter 1: Stolen Twilight

I walked out onto the balcony, feeling troubled and tense. I propped my elbows against the railing and gazed out at the misty golden Twilight landscape. I took a few deep breaths until I felt myself relazing. It was fortunate that the soothing effects of the Twilight realm worked so well to calm me, because my recent ascension to Princess had been anything but simple.

It had been obvious for a while now that I would be chosen as the next ruler of the Twilight Realm, although not everyone was pleased with that turn of events. I'd hoped everything would settle once I was officially appointed Princess, but that hadn't been the case.

Zant.

He had fought tooth and nail to become the ruler of my people. He certainly had his supporters and his place in the line of succession. But fortunately I wasn't the only one to see his dangerous faults. There were others who noticed that craving for power. It was people like _him_ who had gotten us banished to the Twilight Realm in the first place. Several generations ago out ancestors were punished for trying to steal the power of the gods. We made sure that it was never forgotten. It was a mistake no one was eager to repeat.

Because of the soothing light of our world, and the memories of how we came to be here, the people of the Twilight realm remained peaceful.

If Zant were allowed to rule, he would destroy that peace that we had worked so hard to keep over the years.

His behavior after my coronation was proof enough that he wasn't capable of dealing with the stress of kingship. When he thought no one was watching, he fled the coronation ceremony, no doubt to throw a tantrum like a spoiled child.

Come to think of it, I hadn't seen him since he'd fled that day. Maybe he decided to leave the palace. Although I suppose I shouldn't get my hopes up. He probably wouldn't give up so easily, even though his streak of power was broken.

Thinking about Zant made me tense up again. I lowered my head, resting it against my arm. I watched the flecks of twilight energy flutter up into the air. A few black clouds stood out against the golden sky. I wondered if it would rain soon. We could use the rain.

At first I didn't notice the tapping sound behind me. I was taking deep breaths to pull myself together. I had plenty of work to get back to. By the time I realized that I was hearing footsteps, the person was only about fifteen feet away.

I turned around, expecting to see someone from the palace.

Instead my blood ran cold.

Because standing behind me was Zant.

I took a step backwards, only to back into the railing

Zant was wearing a strange, peaked helmet. The mask had round, staring eyes, and a tongue curving out of the mouth. I suppressed a shudder.

"What is it you want?" I demanded.

"My dear Midna," he said, spreading his arms, and stepping towards me.

"You stay away," I snapped. His sudden appearance and his strange mask were unnerving enough. But above that, there was something different about him. A strange energy was making me uneasy.

Although I couldn't see his face, I could imagine Zant smiling. But he did stop walking.

"I just came to congratulate you," he continued. "I never did get a chance to do so after your coronation. Although I suppose it _is_ sad that your reign had to be so short."

I bristled. "What are you talking about?"

"Why, I'd think it was obvious. I'm here to claim what is rightfully mine. And now that I have the power of my God, there's nothing you can do to oppose me."

I scoffed, but took a step to the side so that I wouldn't feel so cornered against the balcony railing. "Your threats are empty, as usual."

Zant gave a light chuckle. "Oh, Midna, when will you learn? When I make a threat, I most certainly mean it."

He started walking towards me again. I felt a faint fizzing sensation in the air. Magic.

I began backing away from him.

"You are nothing now," Zant hissed. "Nothing."

The aura of magic expanded, crackling through the air and washing over me. It was a deeper, larger magic than I'd ever felt before. I'd never felt anything like it in the Twilight Realm. It frightened me. I knew I couldn't stand against it.

Where had Zant gotten such power?

I automatically raised my hand in front of me, as though that would be enough to slow the rush of power pouring from Zant.

Zant raised his hand as well. For a moment, he stared at me. Then he flicked his hand sideways. It was a careless gesture, almost as though he were swatting a fly away. And yet that simple movement contained enough power to hurl me off my feet., even though there were five feet between us.

I fell, and as I dropped through the air I felt a strange, lurching sensation inside of me. I felt like I was spinning uncontrollably instead of falling straight for the ground.

I landed heavily on the balcony floor.

"Oof," I gasped in a strange, high-pitched voice. Had that sound come from me? My voice wasn't that high.

Nausea washed over me as I pushed myself to my hands and feet.

That was when I saw my hands.

I froze. An icy horror slowly slid down my spine and washed through my body. I sat up, trembling, and stared wide-eyed at my hands.

What had he done to me?


	2. Exile

Wahahah! Midna's creepy grin is so awesome and creepy! It's a good thing that's not what she looks like when we first meet her.

Chapter 2: Exile

_Banished. _

_Outcast. _

_Exile. _

The words rang in my ears, blaring loudly through my mind. I felt as though Zant's mask was floating over me, cackling and spitting them out at me.

I stumbled down the stairs of the palace. The palace that was supposed to belong to me. The palace that was stolen from me.

The hissing voice continued to ring through my head.

_Don't worry, princess. I won't kill you. But I'll make sure that you never set foot inside your precious Twilight Realm again. _

I couldn't go back, no matter how much I wanted to. Who could recognize me now? Who would believe that this tiny, hideous little imp was the real princess? With my powers gone, there was nothing I could do to prove myself, or make a stand.

_You can spend the rest of the days in the realm that banished us. _

Would anyone else stand against Zant? What would become of my people? What would become of me? How could I survive in the light realm? I, a creature of shadow?

_That is the price you pay for trying to sit in the throne that should have been mine! _

I staggered away from the palace until my knees buckled. I barely managed to catch myself, and remained on my hands and knees, staring at the ground.

I pressed my eyes shut and felt something wet slip past my eyelids.

_I hate him! _Hate him_! Zant, I swear, I will come back! No matter what, I won't let you sitting on that throne, defining this realm! _

The fury and the grief mixed together inside me and flared up. But then, like a flame removed from the wood, it dissolved, leaving only hopelessness.

_This is the price you pay… _

That was when I felt it.

The peculiar tingling and warmth flooding through my arm, pooling in my hand.

I sat back and raised my arm, staring at my hand, momentarily distracted by the strangeness of it.

And it came, summoned by the explosion of emotions, the desperation of the true ruler of the Twilight.

Something floated up from the palm of my hand, and as it rose above my head, it grew and rotated to face me.

A helmet. Two long horns reached up from the front, and a single large eye stared out at me. Intricate designs laced its stone-gray surface.

And it was the perfect size to fit the one who had summoned it.

The Fused Shadow. One of the four relics that held the power of my ancestors. The only one that remained connected to the Twilight Realm.

_This is it! _With this, I was no longer helpless. With this I could search for the other three parts that would complete the power of my ancestors. And once I had that, Zant wouldn't stand a chance. And how convenient it was that Zant was sending me to the light realm, where the rest of this magic was waiting for me.

_That is the price you pay for trying to sit in the throne that should have been mine! _

My lips slowly spread into a smile, showing my new fang. As the possibility of sweet revenge bloomed up inside me, the smile spread further into a crazed grin.

_Enjoy your power while you can, Zant. This isn't over yet. Not by a long shot. _


	3. Palace of Light

Chapter 3: Hyrule Castle

Well, this wasn't so bad. Considering I'd been turned into a strange little imp and cast from my castle and my realm, things could have been much worse.

Because it looked as though Zant had gotten here before me. A beautiful blanket of golden Twilight stretched out across Light realm. The land called Hyrule.

I watched from my high perch as the spirits of the light people went about their lives. How strange it was that they couldn't even tell they were in Twilight. The only thing that told them something was wrong was the nameless chill that followed wherever they went. Unless of course they strayed from the safety of the city, into the territory of the Twilight monsters.

The Twilight probably wasn't good for these people. But it served my purposes nicely. Still, I wondered how Zant had managed to spread the Twilight across this world. Had his powers really grown so? And why would he want to conquer the Light realm? Was his greed so great that he wasn't satisfied with the Twilight?

A shiver ran down my spine, and I turned my attention to the castle, whose sloping rooftop I was perched on.

If I wanted to take Zant down, I'd need help, either allies or tools. And it seemed like the best place to start was the leader of this land – the other princess who was overthrown by Zant. Since Zant had been foolish enough to not kill me, he would probably have kept her alive as well. The only question was where this other princess was kept.

I stood up on the ridge of the rooftop and pushed off into the air. The powers of the Fused Shadow were definitely helpful. The helmet had let me warp from the Twilight doorway to this capital city of Hyrule. It let me fly, and it allowed me to use the twilight hand. And that was only the beginning. Imagine what I would be able to do when all four of the Fused Shadows were in my possession! Zant wouldn't be able to stand against me then.

Of course, driving Zant from here would probably mean that I'd have to remove the Twilight from this realm. A shame, really. It looked so beautiful this way. But if I said that I'd help restore the Light realm, it would help get the Princess on my side. Of course, that was assuming she'd be of any use. My hopes for an ally were set elsewhere.

I began to float around the outside of the castle, peering in through the windows. I didn't really expect to find anything. For all I knew, the Princess was kept in an underground dungeon. But it wouldn't hurt to stake the place out. Look for entrances and escape routes.

I glided past the large windows, bordered by ornately curving wrought iron sills. I gained altitude, circling around one of the towers. That was when something caught my eye. A figure, inside the castle, standing at one of the windows and looking out over the Twilight.

Not a spirit, but a solid person. I glided to a halt to get a better look at the figure. Was it a Twili? Or could there be a human here who could remain in physical form while in the Twilight?

I dropped back down to hover in front of the window.

The person was covered in a long, heavy cloak. Most of the face was blackened by the shadows from the hood, but the person obviously saw me, because she turned her face up and her mouth opened in surprise as she saw me hovering outside her window.

I grinned at her.

She was a human. The cloak she was wearing must have been spelled to keep her solid while in this cursed place. Zant wouldn't use that sort of magic on just anyone. She must be important. At least important enough that it would be worth talking with her. She might even be the princess I was searching for.

I pointed into the room where she was standing. She looked confused. I sighed in exasperation, pointed to myself, and then pointed again to the room beyond her.

This time she seemed to understand, because she pointed to the door and then gestured to the side.

I flew away from the window, in the direction she indicated. Before long, I came to the rooftop of the building below the stone tower. I made my way in through a window and found a spiral staircase. I made my way to the top and met a heavy set of wooden doors. One of them was ajar enough that I could slip inside.

The woman was standing in the middle of the room, waiting for me.

"You are one of the Twilight beings?" She asked.

"Is it that obvious?" I teased, smirking. "So, who are you?"

"That could be my question," she replied.

I stared at her for a moment, then laughed. "My name's Midna. I'm here because I hate Zant and I want to bring him down."

She looked at me for a long moment. I tilted around in the air until I was floating on my side. I rested my head on a hand to signal that I was tired of waiting.

The woman sighed. Then she straightened herself up and lifted her hood away from her face. "I am Princess Zelda."

"Ah, good. I was hoping to find you. Are you a prisoner here? Your door's unlocked. Why don't you leave? There's a handy window to escape through."

Zelda shook her head. "I cannot leave. If I do, Zant's monsters will kill my people. It took them only minutes to get past my soldiers. The citizens would not have a chance."

"Monsters," I repeated. "Twilight monsters?" I felt a stab of pain in my heart. Zant was turning my warriors into monsters.

Zelda nodded. "Yes. We had no idea how to fight them. I had no choice but to surrender."

"You surrendered, huh?" I suppose I had done the same thing. I didn't dare stay in the Twilight realm. What if the Twili saw me like this? Not that I'd given up. Zant may have chased my to the Light realm, but this was exactly where I wanted to be.

"What was I to do?" Zelda asked coldly.

"Actually, I have a plan," I said casually. "It's told in my land that a hero lives in this world. A hero that can help both you and I."

"Do you know where to find him?" Princess Zelda asked.

"Not exactly. But is there any area that hasn't been taken over by Twilight yet?"

Zelda thought. "I believe that the Ordon area hasn't yet been conquered by Zant's forces. It is to the south of here. Tell me, is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Hmmm. I doubt it. Not now, at least. I know where to find you though."


	4. The Divine Beast

Chapter 4: The Divine Beast

I flew south, soaring over the vast open fields beyond the castle. They looked so beautiful, illuminated as they were by the Twilight. I couldn't see any remnants of the Light world.

I passed a large pond and found the edge of the woods. The road lead beneath the trees, heading south. I floated there for a moment, sondering if that was the way I should take.

That was when I heard a strange noise. I stopped and turned around, scanning the horizon to find out where that pounding was coming from.

Then it came into view, from the north. A cloud of dust rising up from the earth.

I flew a bit higher, trying to get a better view. Something was kicking up the dust. Or a whole herd of "somethings." And they were coming in my direction.

I glided into the lower branches of a tree where I could see without being seen. And as the strange stampede drew nearer, I saw that it was a group of giant boars. The one in the lead was almost twice the size of the others. And unlike the half-dozen bristly brown pigs that followed, the leader had shaggy white fur and massive tusks.

Something was riding the boar. Some sort of huge ogre creature. And there were smaller goblin-things riding the other boars.

They continued towards me, headed for the same path that I had chosen. I quickly floated further up into the tree as the herd of massive boars thundered beneath me. Once all of them had past, I hopped out of the tree and followed.

It was hard to keep up with them. Despite their bulk, they were pretty fast. I followed them down the road, beneath the trees and past a small cabin. The road forked, and we turned right, continuing on past a spring.

But that was when I could follow no further.

Before me, a great gold and black wall reached up into the sky, blocking my progress.

The end of Twilight.

Beyond was the world of light.

One of Zant's Twilight monsters was there, as if waiting for them. It touched the wall of Twilight, which rippled like some strange glowing liquid. The strange stampede made its way out into the world of Light.

I flew up higher, peering through the barrier to see what they were up to. They were making their way across a long rope bridge. I could barely make out a small village through a gap in the trees. And between the bridge and the village was a small spring, like the one I had passed moments ago.

There were four things standing in the spring. Or rather, three people and a horse. They looked up, startled, as the pounding of heavy hooves reached their ears. Some of the boars smashed through the gate and the horse reared in panic. The two smaller figures – they seemed to be a girl and a young boy, tried to run. The older boy jumped to the side to avoid one of the boars.

One of the bulblin goblins fired an arrow, which hit the girl in the back. She collapsed.

The older boy gasped and started to run to her. But a bulblin rode up behind him, clubbing him on the back of the head. I flinched involuntarily. The boy collapsed and fell face-up in the water. One of the bulblins easily subdued the smaller boy as another lifted the unconscious girl.

The rest of the bokoblins had rode beyond the spring, to the village. The leader of the pack, the big ogre riding the white boar, returned. The white boar stepped into the spring and the ogre surveyed his surroundings.

The bulblins hefted the little boy and the girl onto the backs of their mounts. But they left the older boy for some reason. One of the other bulblins grabbed the reigns of the panicked horse and tied her to the saddle of his boar.

The ogre raised a horn to his mouth and blew out a hollow, rasping note.

I started as a cluster of red and black Twilight magic solidified in the sky above the spring. A Twilight portal.

The ogre tugged on the reigns, and his boar wheeled around, stomping back out to the path. The others followed, where they joined the boars that had raided the village. They had captured three other children as well.

The herd of boars and bulblins charged back across the bridge to the Twilight.

The Twilight monster opened the Twilight for them, and the boars charged through. I watched as the children's bodies flickered away and became nothing more than glowing spirits.

They galloped back down the road, towards the field beyond.

I hesitated, wondering if I should follow. They might lead me somewhere useful. But I needed to investigate this last area of Light.

And I wanted to see this Twilight monster that Zant had created. That monster had once been one of my subjects.

I shuddered as I watched the tentacles sway around the masked head. Even so, I felt a tugging at my heart. I wasn't strong enough, and Zant had turned my people into these monsters.

I floated down to where the Twilight Monster was waiting, wondering if I could speak to it. But the moment it saw me, it lowered itself to all fours and loped towards me. I quickly jumped up into a tree to avoid its long fingers.

I sighed and dropped to my knees. So, they really were just monsters that attacked whatever they saw.

And then something else caught my eye.

I looked towards the barrier to the Light and saw the boy. The one who had been clubbed unconscious. He was running across the bridge. He wanted to chase the monsters that had stolen his friends. And he was on foot. With no weapon.

How foolish.

He reached the entrance to the Twilight and skidded to a halt, looking horrified at the sight that met him. He had obviously never seen Twilight before.

I wasn't the only one to notice the boy's arrival. The shadow beast saw him too and loped up to the barrier. It shoved an arm through the wall and grabbed the boy around the middle, dragging him out of the Light. The boy shouted and struggled, trying to pry the monsters's fingers off of his chest. He gasped, no doubt feeling the effects of the Twilight closing in on him.

I watched, waiting for him to fade away into a spirit. Why was it taking so long?

The monster raised the boy up to his face, as if wondering the same thing.

Then something began to flash on the back of the boy's hand. Some sort of triangular mark. It flashed out a blinding light, which made me flinch.

The monster recoiled, hissing and throwing the boy away from him.

He landed on his stomach and shakily pushed himself to his hands and knees. He groaned, his face screwed up as if he was resisting the Twilight. Was that even possible?

I stood up, my mouth opened slightly. The triangle mark was still pulsing. The very Twilight around the boy was pulsing.

I could barely believe what I saw next.

The boy screamed and threw back his head as his back arched in pain. Fur burst from his skin and clothes and his head lengthened, sprouting fangs. Before my eyes, the human body disappeared beneath paws, claws, and tail. Within moments, all that remained was a wolf.

His forelegs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.

The mark on the back of his paw dimmed and went out. He didn't move again.

The Twilight monster shuffled nearer the motionless form. It seemed concerned that the light might come back. It grabbed the wolf boy's hind foot and started to drag him away, following the path the boars had taken.

A grin slowly spread across my face.

I had found the divine beast.


	5. The Prisoner

I love this part of the game! The way they introduce Midna is awesome. From the part where the kids are kidnapped up to here is one of my favorite parts of the game (the middle where Midna gets hurt, and the end are awesome too).

Chapter 5: The Prisoner

The shadow beast continued its long, shuffling journey as it dragged the wolf boy across Hyrule Field. I followed, staying well behind the thing so it wouldn't see me. It was slow going, the way that thing skulked along, dragging its prisoner.

I didn't see the other children that had been kidnapped, but they weren't important. I was only interested in the wolf.

After a while, it became clear that we were heading toward Hyrule Castle. I had to fall behind when the thing dragged the wolf boy into the castle, since several other monsters were lurking around. I lost sight of the wolf, and it took me half an hour of flying in circles through the sewers before I found the dungeons.

And there he was, still unconscious, one of his forepaws shackled by a heavy chain that was attached to the dungeon floor.

I smiled and settled down to wait. I was ready for a rest anyway, after flying half way across this kingdom and back.

It was a long while before the sleeping wolf stirred. He slowly pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly and shaking his head to try and clear the dizziness away. Finally he opened his eyes and let out a doggish gasp. He stared in horror at the large paws that had once been hands. He lifted his feet, as if to check that they really did belong to him. Then his head sagged and his ears drooped in dejection. He sat down, his tail dragging in the dirt of the dungeon floor.

I smiled. Poor thing. I know what it's like to be stuck in a shape that doesn't belong to you. At least I still had fingers, and the powers of the Fused Shadow.

After a minute, the wolf boy stood up, turning his attention to the chain around his wrist. He tugged at it, pulling away as if he could slip his paw out. He dragged at it until he grimaced in pain, and then he started biting at the chain, as if his teeth could cut metal.

I figured that was my cue to intervene, before he actually hurt himself.

With a twirl of my body, I became a cloud of insubstantial bubbles and easily slid through the bars. I reformed into my solid shape and landed across the cell.

His head snapped up and his blue eyes fixed on me. He narrowed his eyes and his hackles raised up.

I grinned, baring my fang. Then with small hop, I easily soared through the air above him, flipping and landing across the cell. He spun around, not daring to turn his back on me.

Smartest thing he'd done so far.

"I found you!" I exclaimed.

The wolf crouched low and started growling again.

I crossed my arms. "Ooh, aren't you scary," I mocked. As if he could hope to hurt me, chained to the floor as he was. But he didn't stop growling.

I laughed. "Are you sure you want to be doing that? Snarling and glaring at me? Well, that's too bad. I was planning on helping you if you were nice."

That got his attention. His ears perked up, and the growl died away. He straightened up and faced me. Heh. Humans are so simple, only a few words needed to turn them around.

"Eee hee! You humans are obedient to a fault, aren't you? Oops, but you _aren't_ a human anymore, are you? You're a beast! Eee hee!" I danced up and patted him on the chin.

With a growl, he snapped out at me. I guess he didn't appreciate being treated like an animal. Too bad.

I easily spun out of the way. "There there. You be a good boy and calm down. No need to bite."

I cupped my hands together and closed my eyes as I focused. A sphere of crackling black and orange twilight energy gathered in the air between my palms. With a flick of my wrists, I shot the energy at the chain, and one of the links shattered.

The wolf jumped back in surprise, and the shackle came free, with just a couple loose links still hanging from it. He lifted his paw, as if checking that he really was loose.

"You look kind of surprised." I laughed, dancing up to grin at him, then twirling away. "So, I bet you're wondering where exactly are we?!"

I held out my arms and let myself dissolve into bubbles again. The wolf gaped at me as I easily slid through the bars of the cell and reformed outside. "Well, I'll make you a deal. If you can get over here, maybe I'll tell you. Eee hee!" I beckoned to him and let out a loud yawn, letting him know that I was tired of waiting for him to figure stuff out. Humans are pretty slow about some things.


	6. Hyrule Water System

Okay, so this chapter isn't quite as short as the others

Okay, so this chapter isn't quite as short as the others. When I first played this game, I died about 5 times in this stupid water system place. Those stupid weird twilight spider things kept getting me until I got the hang of being a wolf. But I thought I'd make it go a little smoother in the fanfic than it did my first time through the game.

Chapter 6: Hyrule Water System

With his bonds severed, the wolf scampered around his cage, looking for a way out. I floated outside the cage, waiting for him to find the way out. _Hello!_ There's a hole beneath that pile of debris! If you get past that wood, you can easily dig out! What was Zant thinking to have a digging animal placed in a cage with a hole in it? He was so stupid! But then again, he was now ruler of Twilight, and I was no more than a hideous imp. I quickly pushed the thought of Zant out of my head. I couldn't think about that! I couldn't let those thoughts drag me down! It's best to just be energetic and witty. That's all that's kept me from breaking down so far.

Frustrated with how long it was taking for him to break out, I called out a hint. "Come on! What's the matter with you? Get over here, now! If you can't force your way out, why don't you see if there's some kind of hole you can squeeze through? I mean, places like this are always full of holes, right?"

The wolf boy glared at me, but took the hint. He found the pile of debris in the front corner of the cell and smashed head-first into it. That can't have felt too good, but oh well. He started scrabbling in the dirt until he had pulled himself through the little hole. He shook himself off and looked around, but couldn't see me since I had just floated directly above him. I laughed. Well, no sense in floating everywhere when I had my own servant.

I dropped from the air and landed on his back. He snarled in fury and started leaping stupidly around in circles. Was he trying to throw me off? I mean, I had my arms crossed. I wasn't even holding on, and I didn't fall off.

"Hmph. I guess you're not completely stupid after all!"

He paused, lying low on his stomach. I leaned forward onto his neck.

"Listen. I like you, so I think I'll get you out of here." He was a very interesting creature. Plus I needed his help. I reached forward and pulled his ear back, showing him that he better pay attention to my next phrase. "But in exchange for my help, you have to do EXACTLY as I say. If you need anything from me, just give me a signal. So, are we all clear? Good. Now, come on! Get moving!" I tapped him in the ribs with my heels. Isn't that what humans do to horses when they want them to go forward? But the wolf boy didn't seem to appreciate it because he growled at me.

He stared around the dungeons stupidly for a minute, trying to figure out what to do. The only open door was the prison cell next to the one he had been locked in. He entered it and saw a chain hanging from the ceiling. So, using his clever human brain-power, he put two and two together. There was a door barred shut next to the chain, so the chain must be a lever to open the door. He leapt up and grabbed the chain, pulling it down and opening the doorway.

He loped down the tunnel, away from the dungeon and into the water system of Hyrule Castle. The moment we came out of the tunnel, we saw the floating light-sphere of a human soul.

"Oh… Well, well… Eee hee hee! Want to see something interesting?" The wolf boy did not yet know what became of humans who entered the Twilight. He didn't realize the significance that his beast form held for him yet. As long as he was a beast, be would not become a spirit in twilight. "You're a beast! You should know what to do! Use your senses and poke around."

Well, let's see if he's smart enough to figure out how to use his beast senses.

He stared blankly at the floating spirit for a minute, not sure what to do. But then he shut his eyes and I saw a change come into them when he opened them again. He got it! Interesting.

The spirit of the frightened soldier, which I could see already, became visible to the wolf boy. He listened to the soldier's frightened blabbing, and then slowly turned away from the spirit. Once he was several feet away, he glanced back uncertainly at the spirit.

"That was a soldier's spirit," I explained. "Maybe it's someone from the other world? Eee hee! There are lots of other spirits roaming around here, you know. Hone your senses to see them. They might know things." Couldn't he get the hint? If there were _soldiers_ here, then that meant we were in the castle. Didn't he understand where we were yet?

The wolf carried me down the pathway above the little water canal. The walkway ended, but continued on the other side of the canal. So he jumped across the shallow water and landed clumsily on the other side. After we passed through a gate, I stopped him.

"I doubt you're used to your new body yet, so I'll just tell you. Think about how you fought enemies in your human form. Just because your shape has changed doesn't mean your instincts have as well." I know it took me a while to get used to my new form… I was highly doubtful that he was used to his animal form yet. His clumsy jumps proved that. And I didn't want him killed by the strange little twilight creatures that slithered across the floor of the canals. I needed him alive.

One of the Twilight spider things leapt towards the wolf. He yelped in pain as it hit him, but then he turned and leapt toward the monster, chomping his powerful jaws down in it. It fell it the ground, limp. Hmmm. Interesting. He'd got a hang of his attack capabilities already?

Our path forward was blocked by a strange mat of spikes sticking up from the floor. The wolf eyed it wearily. That was the way we needed to go, but it would be impossible to walk over those without getting seriously hurt. If there was more water in the canal, he could swim over them. But the canals were almost empty…

The wolf turned away from the spikes and went down another pathway. A chain was hanging from the ceiling, like the one that had opened the door to the water system. He eyed it for a moment, then he jumped up and grabbed the chain in his mouth. His weight pulled the chain down, and a water drain opened, flooding water into the canals. He ran back down the pathway towards the spikes, then leapt into the water, easily swimming over the spikes without hurting himself.

There was another soldier spirit. He was muttering to himself, obviously terrified by the twilight spiders. "What are those black things… Where are they coming from… And how do we get out of here?!" Honestly, didn't he even know how to get out of the water system? What kind of guard was he if he didn't even know his way around?

Ah, there's the route we need to take. But it's blocked by a gate. I think the only way he can get through is if he drains the canals again and squeezes through that hole there. Maybe it's time to give our little wolf friend a test. I've been helping him too much. Let's let him get through this next part on his own. I floated off of his back and through the bars of the gate.

"This way! Over here! I'll be waiting for you, but you'll have to help yourself for a change!"

He glared at me darkly, but trotted off in the opposite direction to find a way to get to me. And, sure enough, a few minutes later, the water drained back to its original state. He galloped back into sight and squeezed through the little hole to the side of the gate. When he came out the other side, I dropped back onto his back.

"Eee hee! Awww, did the detour tire you out, little wolf? By the way, are you honing your senses like you should? It looks like the spirits in here… They're all soldiers. Where in the world could we be? Eee hee! You want out of here, right? We're off!" He _still_ didn't get that we were in Hyrule Castle!

We emerged into a large circular room with a pathway running along the outside. Parts of the stairway were broken off. It would be interesting to see if he could get up there. No doubt I'd have to help him.

He started to run up the staircase, but when he tried to jump across the first gap, the stone crumbled beneath his feet and he fell to the level below.

"Ugh! What are you doing?" I exclaimed in disgust. Yep. I'd have to help him jump across these points. He started up the staircase again. When we got to the point where he fell before, he stopped, unsure of what to do.

"I guess I have to do EVERYTHING for you…" I grumbled, "I'll guide you to sure footing, so just follow me."

I floated to the next bit of staircase and hovered there, waiting for him. He looked at me doubtfully, not sure he could jump so far. But he pushed off of the ground and landed safely beneath me. On up the staircase we went. I had to guide him several more times where the distance was too far or too steep for him to jump on his own. Then we reached an enormous section of the pathway that was broken off, and a rope was strung across the stares we were on, and the stairs across from us. The wolf hesitated, then slowly began to creep across the rope. And we were at the top! In another circular room. This one had a door in it, but it was shut. Our little wolf wouldn't be able to open it. But up near the ceiling was another door that was open. Now, why would there be a door way up there? But I think I can help him jump up there. We can get out from that door.

"Phew… Finally we made it to the top! Look! We're almost outside. Why don't you try to find some footing we can use to climb up. So… You know where we are yet? Eee hee! Well… if you go to the top, you might figure it out!"

There were several little juts of stone coming from the wall that the wolf could use to climb up to the doorway. I floated up to the first outcropping, and the wolf followed me all the way to the top, and then he trotted out of the door.


	7. Introductions

Chapter 7: Introductions

Okay, sorry it took me so long to update. It's kind of frustrating to watch through the whole tape I made of the game, and copy out all the words. It's time consuming too, especially considering that this VHS player I have isn't too cooperative, and whenever I try to pause it to read the dialogue, it overshoots and I have to rewind to get it to pause at the end of each phrase. It doesn't help that I made the words go really fast when I played through the game. That gives me even less time to stop it in exactly the right place-not too soon or I miss the end, not too late, or the whole thing vanishes and I have to rewind and try again. It's very trying on one's patience. It _is_ fun, however, to go and add all of Midna's thoughts. It's like you see in cartoons, where the people have an angel and a devil on their shoulders that tell them to do opposite things. Well, I have a little Midna on my shoulder, and she tells me exactly what she's thinking as she does what she's doing in the game. She's very amusing to talk to (not really, considering Midna isn't really real). I'm glad all you who reviewed have enjoyed what I've written so far. So, stay tuned, and next time I'm feeling patient enough to go through the next section of the game and re-copy the dialogue, I'll write the next chapter.

Chapter 7: Introductions

The rooftops of Hyrule Castle emerged before us. The beautiful twilight filled the sky, and huge twilight birds were soaring around over the roof. They must have transformed into those shapes when the twilight consumed them. If the twilight were lifted, they'd probably return to their normal forms. And there's the tower we need to get to. The one where Zelda is. I wonder if the wolf boy will be able to make it over there. He'd got this far.

"So, we were finally able to get out. And look at the sky! Isn't the black cloud of twilight looking beautiful today?" He still didn't even know what twilight was, did he? "Do you know where this is?" Judging by the blank expression, he didn't. "You STILL don't know? Eee hee hee! Look, there's someone I want to introduce you to… but I'll need you to go to that tower to do it."

The wolf didn't have any choice but to obey. He jumped down onto the ledge below and cantered towards the rooftops. And there was another soldier spirit a little ways away. How on earth did he get up here?

"So, there are even spirits up here, huh? This whole spirit thing is pretty new to you, isn't it?" That was an understatement. He'd probably never seen a spirit in his life before today. "Even though these guys can see those monsters," I referred to the huge twilight birds, "they don't know a thing about you! If you think I'm lying, why don't you check it out? Hone your fine senses. Eee hee!"

So, he walked up to the spirit who was looking out over the rest of the castle.

"What… What are these monstrous birds? What in the world is happening here? Ah, our poor Hyrule Castle."

That must have done it. If he didn't know what Hyrule Castle was, then he was certainly a hopeless case. But the look of dawning comprehension on his wolfish face told me that he finally understood where we were.

The wolf boy turned away and continued on.

"Eee hee! That wasn't the person I wanted you to meet, by the way," I said, just in case he got the wrong idea. "Well, let's just try and get to that tower."

He jumped across ledges, and onto a different part of the roof. We were ambushed by a few twilight birds, but he managed to get rid of them with a few well-aimed leaps and bites.

"Look! Just a little farther!" I said as the roof that led to Zelda's tower came into view. I guided him down onto the roof below us by jumping across a few posts, and he ran along the ridgepole. He almost slid down the roof once, but he managed to catch himself and climb back up to the top. That would be a nasty drop if her fell off the roof. He jumped in through the window to the tower.

We were on the spiral staircase of the tower again. He jumped down from the window and looked around. After realizing the door at the bottom of the stairs was locked, he started climbing to the top of the tower. He pushed his way through the ajar door that led to Zelda's prison. And there she stood in her cloak, gazing out of the window. Didn't she have anything better to do than just stand there all the time?

But when the wolf boy saw the cloaked figure, he automatically jumped to the conclusion that it must be an evil person. He raised his hackles and snarled. I giggled at his stupidity. Growl first, ask questions later. He sure liked to growl at people before he knew their intentions.

But the growling attracted Zelda's attention. She turned with a little gasp.

The wolf boy, when he saw that it was a girl who was standing there, immediately stopped growling. He started towards her. I rolled my eyes. Humans.

"…Midna!" Zelda exclaimed as the two of us drew near.

"Eee hee! You remembered my name? What an honor for me." Well, at least the wolf boy new my name now.

"So this is the one for whom you were searching?" she continued. Why did she have to talk so formally?

"He's not exactly what I had in mind, but… I guess he'll do." I had certainly not been looking for a boy as inexperienced as this. But he was surely the divine beast. Why else would he not become a spirit in twilight?

Zelda knelt down to look at the wolf boy. She saw the remains of the shackle and chain around his ankle.

"You were imprisoned?" She paused for a minute, obviously thinking about all the harm Zant had caused to her people. "I am sorry."

"Poor thing," I sighed, "he has no idea where this is or what's happened… So don't you think you should explain to him what you've managed to do? You owe him that much… Twilight Princess. Eee hee!" I narrowed my eyes dramatically. She certainly did owe her people for surrendering without a fight. She hadn't been transformed into a hideous little imp. She was allowed to keep her solid form in twilight.

I guess she _was_ sort of a princess of twilight now. A bit like me. Both people in twilight, both princesses overthrown by Zant. How interesting.

Zelda looked down at the floor. After a moment of silence, she began. "Listen carefully. This was once the land where the power of the gods was said to slumber. This was once the kingdom of Hyrule. But that blessed kingdom has been transformed by the king that rules the twilight." He was _not_ king of Twilight! But then, I hadn't told her that I was its true ruler yet, had I? She continued on with her story.

"It has been turned into a world of shadows, ruled by creatures who shun the light." And she again launched into the story of how Zant and his twilight minions had stormed the castle and effortlessly defeated the guards. And then of how she Zelda had let her sword fall when Zant entered and told her to surrender, or face the destruction of her kingdom and people. And how her entire kingdom was covered in twilight, and parts of the castle burned.

"Twilight covered Hyrule like a dark shroud, and without light, the people became as spirits. Within the twilight, they live on, unaware that they have passed into spirit forms. All the people know now is fear… Fear of a nameless evil. The kingdom succumbed to twilight, but I remain its princess."

She reached up and removed her hood. The wolf boy leaned back, trying to see better the face of the human who stood above him. Unprepared for this sudden shift in position, I almost slipped backwards off of his back.

"I am Zelda," she concluded dramatically.

"You don't have to look so sad," I said when I had regained my balance. "We actually find it to be quite livable! I mean, is perpetual twilight really all that bad?"

"Midna, this is no time for levity. The shadow beasts have been searching far and wide for you. Why is this?"

I pushed off the wolf's back and sat suspended in mid air, facing away from Zelda. It was obvious why they were searching for me. Zant was probably regretting me go-the princess of twilight. But I shrugged. No need to tell them who I was-yet. "Why indeed? You tell me! Eee hee hee!"

Zelda chose to ignore my comment. "Time has grown short. The guard will soon make his rounds."

I landed on the wolf's back again, a little heavier than I had done before. He let out what sounded like an "oof," and looked back at me. I turned away from him, crossing my arms stubbornly.

"You must leave here quickly!" Zelda continued.

So, we left Zelda alone in her tower again and headed back down the stairs. But before we had gone all the way down, I heard the footsteps of the guard coming from behind the shut door at the bottom of the stairs. The wolf boy had not heard it. I reached forward and tugged back on his ears, jerking him to a halt. He let out a wolfish gasp as his ears were yanked back, and he bared his teeth at me.

I leaned forward as the door banged open. "Not that way! The guard's coming! Boy, he's prompt!" I glanced around, looking for an escape route. There! The window we came in through!

I guided him out of the window, and we again found ourselves on the roofs of Hyrule Castle.

I floated out before him, bouncing once off the tile, and stopped at the corner of the roof. I floated there, waiting for the wolf to come.

"Eee hee hee! Well? Do you understand where we are now?" He looked at me mistrustfully. And after all I had done for him too. "I guess a promise is a promise. I'll let you go back to where you first tumbled into twilight. But… are you really sure you should be going back? Are you sure you aren't forgetting anything important?"

I recalled the shapes of the girl and boy I had seen at the spring with him before he entered twilight-the ones who had been taken by those weird goblins. I spun on the spot, changing into first the boy and then the girl, making copies of their frightened screams with each shift in shape.

"Eee hee! Do you want to save them? Well, in that case, little Midna would be glad to help you!" I was still in the girl's form, and I fluffed my hair just to annoy him. He let out a low growl.

"But…" I continued, ignoring his growl, "Well, you'd have to be my servant… and like a servant, you'd have to do exactly as I say!" Now I had some motivation from him to help me collect the rest of the fused shadows. I shifted back into my imp form. "Why don't you go back, take a little time, and give it some thought? Eee hee hee!"

I reached out with my warping power, and he opened his mouth in shock as I dissolved him into twilight squares. The squares then shot up into the sky, and I jumped up after them, disappearing into the twilight.


	8. A Sword and a Shield

Some of you will be happy to see another long chapter

Some of you will be happy to see another long chapter. You know who you are (grins). So, here we go. I collected my patience and spent another session with my computer and game recording to create the next installment of the story. This is another part of the game I had trouble with the first time through. The hawk absolutely killed me. I couldn't find out how to get onto the roof and scare that stupid guy, so I kept blundering around, and the hawk kept killing me. Blah. And Now I know how easy it is to get past this part. Sigh. Well, enjoy.

Chapter 8: A Sword and a Shield

I aimed at the spring where I had seen the ogre open that twilight portal. As we emerged into the light world, I shifted into my shadow form. I could not exist in solid form when we left twilight, any more than a light being can survive in twilight. If I failed to shift forms, the results would be very bad for me.

We slid out of the portal at Ordon Spring. The wolf boy rematerialized in the shallow water.

"Oh, that's right," I added as an afterthought. "I forgot to mention one thing." He turned his head, thinking I was still sitting on his back. Well, technically I was. On his back's shadow, anyway. My shadow appeared riding his, but my solid form was not visible to him. "Though you may have left the darkened realm, you haven't transformed back to your former self… and you can't any time soon!"

He turned in a complete circle, trying to locate me, but to no avail.

"Now, why could that be?" I added, mysteriously, ignoring his futile attempts to find me. But since the twilight was still in view, I hoped that would give him a clue. "Eee hee hee! See you later!"

He stared around for a few more seconds, then realized that it was a lost cause to look for me any more. So he turned and left the spring. As we neared the exit, I decided I should tell him what to do.

"So, um, what next?" I pulled his shadow off of the ground, along with mine, and wrapped it into my shape. He stared at my shadow form in amazement as I floated in front of him.

"Eee hee hee! Did you think I'd disappeared? Listen, there's another thing I forgot to tell you… Don't think you can just run off and save your friends, because you can't. Just beyond that bridge, the land is covered in twilight. Last time a shadow beast pulled you through the curtain of twilight. But if you want to go that way this time, you'll need the cooperation of someone FROM the twilight… like me! So you really have no choice but to do what I say. Saving your friends and all that… Well, that'll depend on your actions, because you never can trust words, you know." And I certainly wasn't going to trust the word of some stupid human.

"Right now, I want a sword and a shield that'll suit me." Those were the weapons that humans used, right? Hopefully they'd be adequate for what I needed to do. "You do understand me, don't you? Eee hee hee! So, what do you plan to do? While you're here dawdling, the twilight continues to expand. Come on! Hurry it up!" Actually I didn't care about the twilight expanding. The twilight was much nicer that their normal world. But if I wanted to get Zant, I'd have to stop his plans. And getting rid of the twilight would definitely slow him down. Plus it might be difficult to get the rest of the fused shadows with twilight covering Hyrule. Until I had those, a sword and shield would have to do.

I disappeared back into his shadow. The wolf boy cantered down the forest trail, towards his town. Twilight fell. A few goblins attacked the wolf, but he got rid of them. And the darkness settled over the town of Ordon as we emerged out in front of a small house near the edge of town. Judging from the look the wolf shot at it, it was his house. There were two goblins standing guard in front of it, but he killed both of them fairly easily. He was getting good at it.

But just as he was heading down the path towards Ordon, a squirrel, of all things, landed at the top of the ladder to the house.

"Wait!" the squirrel called.

The wolf automatically started growling. He seemed to do that a lot. Growl first, ask questions later. Pathetic. And so far everyone he'd growled at turned out to be a friend. Hah!

The squirrel continued talking. "Thank you for taking care of all those bad guys." It meant the goblin things that were in front of his house. "They made both the village and the forest a mess. They kidnapped the village children. But I know you're not one of them. I can tell because you smell like the trees of Ordon. If you run into any trouble, try talking to the animals. We animals understand one another, so you'll be all right." And the squirrel scampered away. Well, now we know that we have the cooperation of animals, at least. That might be helpful.

The wolf continued down the pathway towards the village.

The village came into sight. What a shrimpy little place! There were only about five buildings in the whole place, not including Link's house. There was a pond to our right and a little stream running in front of us. A bridge and a water wheel were set on the brook, and I could see a ranch down the pathway across the bridge.

One man was standing on a rock above the pond. "Ohhh," he moaned. "How did it come to this? The children… Please say nothing's happened. Please forgive your good-for-nothing father."

I believe that comment. He sure seemed whiney.

The wolf stalked quietly around until we caught a glimpse of two people whispering together near a little house across the stream-the one with the water wheel.. He quietly dashed across the brook and hid in the tall grass to listen to what they were saying.

"Oh! About the shield!" one of them was saying.

"Hey!" the other hissed, "Not so loud."

The wolf boy crept a little closer.

"So, that shield is still in your house, right?" said the larger man.

"Uh, yeah, it should be in our storage loft." Said the other man.

"Good! Go grab it, quick as you can! Rusl got wounded pretty bad, so he can't go search for the kids. I'll take over for him."

Hah! As if any of them could compete with the twilight monsters!

"But Rusl had a sword, Mayor!" So, this fat man was the mayor, huh? "And he STILL got hurt! If you're unarmed, you're done for!"

"I'll be fine," the mayor insisted. "The sword we were goin' to present to the royal family should still be at Rusl's house."

"Oh yeah? All right, I understand, Mayor. I'll hurry up and get that shield. You just wait here."

Those idiots! Blabbing about that where anyone could listen. Well, now we know where we can get a shield and sword.

Suddenly the mayor turned around and saw the wolf lurking in the grass. He let out a cry. "No good! Run!"

And the two of them fled. The cowards! The wolf wouldn't have hurt them. He knew these people! Well, with twilight looming over everything, people were a little more skittish than usual, I suppose.

I jumped out of the wolf's shadow. "That's not a bad bit of information you heard, huh?" I glanced at the house where the shield was hidden. Up on the roof a skylight had been left open. "Ugh… Look at that open window. This village is full of idiots." The wolf didn't seem to appreciate that comment too much. "So," I said, glancing around to try and find a way onto the roof. My eyes fell on the water wheel positioned on the pond. The hub of the wheel looked like a good place to jump up to.

"We should jump up there… But from where?"

I hid in his shadow again. A little puppy was dozing by the front door. The wolf walked over to him. It stood up and rambled about how it liked walks in the night, and advised the wolf to dig for stuff hidden underground.

With that random bit of knowledge, the wolf went back across the creek to try and find a way onto the roof of the house. But just as he crossed the bridge, the man sitting on the rock spotted him.

"Mon-MONSTER!" he screamed hysterically. "You've come back for more, haven't you?! My… my daughter… return her! And TAKE THIS!"

And the stupid idiot picked a piece of grass shaped like a bird, and blew over it. It let out a strange fizzy whistle, and suddenly a huge hawk dove out of the air and landed on his outstretched arm. The stupid man sent the hawk after the wolf. It shot towards us, and smashed into the wolf's side. He yelped and fell backwards, then sprinted out of the way of the bird's attacks.

Back near the shop, a cat unhelpfully told us that there was no way we could face the hawk. But one rock in front of the shop looked like it might make a good step to the rooftop. And we could get around behind the guy with the hawk and scare the living daylights out of him!

I hopped out of the shadows.

"C'mon, let's get up on the roof from here and scare that guy. Look at him… posing like he's all important… Wait until he sees us! Eee hee hee!"

I guided him onto the roof of the shop, and from there he jumped across the big rocks and landed right behind the hawk guy.

"WHOA!" he screamed, sending the hawk back into the sky. He leapt into the pool. Stupid coward! But, back to business. I floated to the hub of the water wheel and waited for the wolf to jump onto it. From there, we landed on the roof of the building and fell through the skylight. Once in the house, we could see the flimsy wooden shield hanging on the wall in the loft. I mean, seriously! A wooden shield! How pathetic! Wood can shatter and burn. That won't be too much help.

I popped out of the shadows. "Eee hee hee! Found it! Found it!" And I guided him up into the loft.

One problem. How to get it down? He proceeded to run headfirst into the wall, knocking the shield from its hook. That can't have felt good. But that's one way to use your head…

He pushed the shield up onto his back.

"It looks… kind of cheap," I muttered. "All right then… Next is a sword. Hurry up and get one!"

We climbed out of the open window and found ourselves falling into the pond. The splashing sound obviously attracted someone's attention, because I heard someone's voice.

"What was that sound? The children could not have returned… could they?"

Give me a break! What would the kids be doing splashing around in the pond if they really were home? Wouldn't they run back to their families instead of going for a swim?

The man continued. "I must go out and search one last time. You get inside the house. I have placed the sword that was to be our gift to Hyrule on the couch. If the mayor comes for it, please give it to him."

Then a woman's voice echoed through the night. "But darling… your injuries…"

Injuries, huh? Didn't that guy say that a man named Rusl had been injured? So that guy must be Rusl. And that woman talking is obviously his wife if she's calling him darling.

We climbed out of the pond. The wolf boy wisely stayed off of the path, where Rusl was limping around holding a lamp. But we paused to have a pointless chat with a couple frogs by the creek, and another with a cucko near Rusl's house. The woman was sitting near the front door, so the wolf went around the side of the house. He used his senses to find a soft spot of earth, and then dug beneath the wall. We were inside.

The sword wasn't hard to find. They had left it on the couch, where anyone could grab it. It was their own fault for not taking better care of it.

I appeared from his shadow again. "All right… So now you have a sword. Looks like you can actually be useful when you concentrate! All right… No more detours. I'm going to take you back into the twilight. Go back to the woods where you first transformed into that shape." I don't know how eager he was to return to the twilight, but he left the house. He got a little careless, because Rusl caught sight of him.

"Beast! I have found you!" he shouted. But he couldn't keep up with us due to his injuries, and we easily outran him before he could whack the wolf with his sword.

Things went smoothly until we reached Ordon Spring again. But as we passed by the entrance, a strange golden voice called out to us.

"Wait. Come to my spring…" It beckoned.

Well, this was interesting. A bodiless voice. This might be a good time to growl, but no. He ran right to the spring without hesitation.

The voice sounded again.

"You have… been transformed… by the power… of shadow," So what else is new? "Come… to me…"

He walked forward, but suddenly a barrier sprung around us. A barrier reeking of twilight…

Now he started growling. And the golden voice whispered, "Beware… A shadow being… It approaches…"

And the portal I had used to warp through opened in the sky, and a twilight monster fell out of it.

The wolf attacked. He leapt at its throat and sank his teeth in. It shook him loose, but he attacked again. This time it fell. And its body dissolved into twilight squares, which floated into the air and became the permanent blue twilight portals I could easily warp through. The barrier dissolved.

Suddenly, strange designs appeared on the rocks. The water began to glow with a bright light, and a strange golden sphere arose from the spring. Then a shape began to take form around the glistening orb. It was a giant goat whose horns encircled the light ball. Its whole body seemed to be made of light.

"O brave youth…" said the goat spirit, "I am one of the four light spirits that protects Hyrule at the behest of the gods. I am Ordona. The black beast you slayed was a shadow being. It had come to seize the power of light I wield. My brethren in Hyrule have already had their light stolen by these fell beasts. The entire kingdom has been reduced to a netherworld ruled by the cursed powers of darkness. The blight will not stop with Hyrule. Before long, the entire world of light will fall into the hands of the king who rules the twilight."

My insides lurched at the mention of Zant. Why do they keep calling him king? He isn't! He's a big phony!

"To save this land from the king of twilight, the lost light must be recovered. The three light spirits who have lost their light must be revived. There is but one who can revive them and redeem this land… You."

Wow. Talk about dramatic. This boy is the only one who can save the world? Poor kid. What a burden to have huh? And think about what's at stake if he fails. Well, I don't care about the light world. I just want to get Zant out of the twilight realm.

The light sprit continued. "You have still not discovered your true power. Those transformed by twilight usually cannot recover their original forms."

Boy, I'm sure that's comforting for him.

"Unless… If you were to return to Faron Woods where you were first transformed… If you were to revive the light spirit. There, by the power of the light spirit, you may find the means to regain your other state of being."

That's a bribe if I ever heard one. Save the light spirit, or you don't get to be human again.

The spirit dissolved into a flood of light, and the spring was dark again.

We left the spring and traveled back across the bridge towards Faron Woods. The wall of twilight loomed above us. The wolf stopped in front of it, looking at it uncertainly. I appeared to give him a hand.

"Hey… Look… The Faron Woods you know so well… they're covered in Twilight. You might not be able to come back here, but… Do you still want to go?"

He nodded.

So, I floated forward through the twilight wall. And as the surface rippled shut behind me, I felt the wonderful twilight wash over my body. I reverted back to my solid form. Ah, it felt so nice! Why would anyone ever want to get rid of it? I can _breathe_ here! Well, I suppose we do have to get rid of it if we want to get rid of Zant.

I reached my orange twilight arm back through the wall again, seized the wolf, and dragged him into twilight.


	9. Curing Faron woods

So, here's the next chapter

So, here's the next chapter. I don't really have anything to add, so I'll let you get on with your reading. Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Curing Faron Woods

I landed on the wolf's back and picked up the sword and shield that the wolf had been carrying on his back. I put the shield over my face like a mask. That's how you use it, right? The shield protects your head? But how was this supposed to protect you? There weren't even any eye holes to see through. How were you supposed to fight if you couldn't see what you were doing?

"Hmm! So these are the weapons you use in your world?"

I swished the sword around. The wolf ducked his head to stop from getting whacked, but I ignored him.

"You really think this think can slay the creatures of twilight?"

He bared his teeth. I guess he didn't like me talking that way about the precious sword they were supposed to give to Zelda. Well, it really didn't look like it would work very well against twilight magic.

I threw down the shield and sword. The shield landed on his head, and the sword stuck blade-down in the twilight earth. "Well, I won't use these, but I'll hang on to them for you!" I extended my magic and diminished the pathetic weapons to twilight squares, then hid them away inside the fused shadow.

"All right. A promise is a promise… I trust you enough to help." He had helped me so far without too much trouble. I'd need him to help me a little longer, though. I leaned forward. "In exchange for my help, though, I need you to gather some things for me." I meant, of course, the fused shadows. "Look, I can't tell you all the details now, but it'll be easy, trust me." I sure wouldn't tell him about the twilight magic yet. I didn't trust him _that_ much. Besides, if he knew how dangerous they were, he wouldn't be as eager to help. And it wouldn't be too hard to find them. Maybe there would be a few monsters in the way, but that shouldn't be a problem for a _real_ hero.

"But enough about that. Do you hear that noise? It's the lamentation of the spirit that had its light stolen." Floating over the twilight air was a strange, mournful, sighing song. "Where in the world could it be? Eee hee!" Obviously at the spring. He should know where that is, if he knows these woods so well.

I rolled onto my back, using the wolf's head as a back rest. I studied my fingernails in a bored fashion and hummed a tune. "Better get going, don't you think? Don't blame me for your world's fate if you don't hurry up and find that light! Come on! Snap to it!"

The sorrowful lament continued on in the distance as the wolf grudgingly moved forwards. Suddenly another twilight barrier sprang up, and three more monsters dropped out of a new portal in the sky.

"Aww… We're penned in again! Pffft! Who do they think they're dealing with? No need to take these little pests on one at a time, right? You can take them all at once! So… You can handle this by yourself, can't you? God luck! Bye!"

I floated off of his back and hovered some distance away as the monsters closed in. The stupid wolf didn't follow my advice. He attacked them one at a time, leaping for their throats as he had done before. But when he had killed two of them, the third let out a howling scream, and the other two came to life again, climbing to their feet. I saw I would have to step in again.

He started attacking them again. I floated back to my place on his back.

"What's the holdup? If you leave the last one alive, it's just going to use that shriek to bring the others back. Listen, let me help you out here! Just move like I tell you! I'll expand an energy field. Enclose all of your enemies within it."

I threw out my energy field, and the wolf shuffled around until the two monsters were targeted. Then he attacked. Thanks to my magic, he was able to change direction at lightning speed and finish the monsters off before one of them got a chance to bring the others back to life. The beaten monsters dissolved into twilight and formed into another handy portal that we could use.

Twilight landscape sped by us as we made our way to the next spring. Hovering over the water was a faint gold mist-all that was left of this light spirit. The wolf trotted over to the mist.

"Please be careful," it whispered feebly, "These woods… have changed. The dark clouds of dusk cover this land… This drape of shadows is called… twilight. In this twilight, those who live in the light become as mere spirits… It is a place… where the dark ones and evil creatures dwell. I… am a spirit… of light. Blue-eyed beast, look for my light… Retrieve the light stolen by the dark beasts… and keep it …in this vessel."

From the mist, there materialized a strand of hollow beads- a vessel of light. Each bead was supposed to hold part of the light stolen the spirit, called tears.

The spirit continued on in its faltering voice. It had to pause often to gather enough strength to speak. "In the shadows of twilight… the dark insects are as… invisible as normal humans are here. Let me use the last of my power… to reveal the locations of the dark insects… that consumed the light. Find the insects of darkness. The dark insects… they are the form taken by evil… once it has latched onto our scattered light." And the golden fog faded.

Oh joy. Time to hunt for bugs. The first two were fairly easy to find. The wolf used his senses to spot them on the path in front of us. They glowed in a strange light, and could only be attacked when that light faded. But when the first two bugs were killed, the tears of light escaped from their bodies and entered the vessel of light.

We found a couple more inside a house where some spirit guy was cringing away from the bugs in terror. The same guy I had passed when I was following the boras and goblins.

Then we went back outside and dug under a gate that led deeper into the forest. Two more insects were right behind the gate. We passed through a bat-infested tunnel and emerged into the woods. A strange purple haze hung over the ground in the middle of the forest. After we took care of a few of the bugs there, I led the wolf around the mist-guiding him along fallen logs and tree branches so that he was able to stay out of the purple haze. It was obvious that if we landed in it, it wouldn't be very healthy.

When we got to the other side of the haze, a few more bugs were found burrowed underground. The wolf had to dig them out before he could collect the tears.

We continued along the path. Suddenly, another barrier sprang up, and we had to get rid of more twilight monsters, gaining another portal in the process. I noticed what look like part of a bridge discarded to the side of the path. What on earth was a piece of bridge doing here? There hadn't been any rivers we'd passed. Oh well. Onward. We've almost got all the bugs.

The last two bugs were near an enormous tree trunk. It looked like there was something inside of the trunk, but the entrance was blocked by a giant spider web.

Huddled in front of the entrance to the hollow tree was the spirit of a monkey. It was cowering in fear of the two bugs that were skittering around at its feet. But when the wolf took care of the bugs, she looked up and sighed in relief. She could not see us, but she could tell that the bugs were gone.

"Someone… someone helped me?" she said. "Boy, lucky for me… ever since the boss went funny in the head, there've been scary monsters everywhere." She was looking at the blocked entrance to the tree trunk. Apparently her boss, whoever that was, lived inside that hollow tree. "Those village kids got led through the woods for some reason. The whole forest is so weird now… What's happened?"

Yeah, I was wondering about the kids. How come they hadn't been taken to the dungeons like the wolf boy had? Where were they, anyway? I'd promised to help the wolf kid find them, so it might be nice to have some lead as to where they went…

But the wolf collected the last two tears of light. The vessel of light began to glow, and we arrived back at Faron Spring. The tears were drawn into the water, the twilight dissolved, and light washed back over the land. My body shifted back into shadow form.

The wolf wasn't a wolf any more. He was a human again. Returning light to the woods meant that the light spirit could return him to his normal form. But he was wearing a different outfit that the one he had on when he first entered twilight. This one was all green. What did it mean?

I floated out over the water. "Aww, but it was so nice here in the twilight… What's so great about a world of light, anyway?" I shrugged and reclined back into the air. But the light spirit was coming. I better get out of the way. "Eee hee hee! See you later." And I disappeared into the shadows.

The water began to glow, and the second light spirit appeared. This one was a giant monkey, wrapped around its golden light orb.

"My name is Faron," it said. "I am one of the spirits of light who dwell in Hyrule. By the order of the gods, I protect this forest. O brave youth, in the land covered by twilight, where people roam as spirits, you were transformed into a blue-eyed beast. That was a sign. It was a sign that the powers of the chosen one rest within you… and that they are awakening. Look at your awakened form."

And he looked down and saw the new outfit he was wearing. He gasped, amazed that his clothes could have changed while he was a beast.

The spirit continued speaking. "The green tunic that's your garb once belonged to the ancient hero chosen by the gods. His power is yours. His is the true power that slept within you. Your name is Link."

Ah, so that was his name! About time I learned it! Now I didn't have to go around calling him "wolf" all the time. But why bother telling him his own name? I think he knew his own name.

"You are the hero chosen by the gods," the spirit concluded. Wow. Chosen by the gods, huh? That makes him even more interesting.

"Brave link," the spirit continued, "A dark power rests in the temple deep within these woods. It is a forbidden power. Long, long ago, I and the other spirits of light locked it away. Because of its nature, it is a power that should never touched by any who dwell in the light. But this world weeps beneath a mantle of shadows, and so there is no choice… you must match the power of the king of shadows. If you would seek this forbidden power, then proceed to the temple in the forest depths."

And the spirit dissolved into light and sank back into the water.

But how did Faron know that I was after the fused shadows? Because that was doubtless the forbidden power it was talking about. And it knew that I would need to use them to fight Zant. Link couldn't use them, as the spirit pointed out, because he was from the light. But I could. Now Link knew about the dangers of the fused shadows but he also had someone else telling him that he needed to find them besides me. Not that he'd be able to refuse anyway if he wanted my help any more. And what about this temple? It must have been inside that old tree trunk we saw earlier. A temple inside of a tree, eh?

I popped out of his shadow. "Well, well… You're the chosen hero and all that, huh? So THAT'S why you turned into that beast! What a shame… I mean, maybe you'd rather just wander as a spirit like the rest of them, totally unaware of what was happening for all eternity… right? Eee hee hee! So… What do you want to do? Do you want to head to that temple? Well, isn't that convenient! I was about to head there myself. Hey, look… You want to help your friends, right? The way I see it, maybe they're in that temple, waiting for you to rescue them." (In case he needed more motivation to go over there) "Well, good luck, Mr. Important Hero. Eee hee hee! See you later." And I dove back into his shadow.


	10. Monkeys and Boomerangs

Hey

Hey. Sorry it took me so long to update. First of all there was a lot of work involved with the end of the school year, and then we went to China for two weeks. And when I got home, my computer was misbehaving. I already started this chapter once, and it deleted it. Luckily I hadn't gotten too far when it was erased.

So, I'm not going to spend too much time on the dungeons. That would take too long. Something tells me you won't be too disappointed. Oh, I did add a little more detail since a few people requested it. And by the way, I will make Link talk. That doesn't mean just shouts and grunts. That means actually communicating. It should be interesting to try and make Link talk after knowing him as a mute for so long…

Chapter 10: Monkeys and Boomerangs

Link quickly put his new sword to use as we continued on our voyage. We were attacked by some strange mutant Venus flytrap. Apparently it's called a deku baba. It's a good thing I helped him get that sword. Otherwise he'd be pretty chewed up by now. We stopped by at the lantern guy's house-the guy we saved from twilight bugs. He was perched near a fire with a jug of oil next to him. What a weirdo. Imagine letting your hair get so overgrown that birds start to nest in it… Well, either way, he gave us the key to get into the forest and Link refilled his lantern with oil. This time we didn't have to dig under the gate. Link just used the key to open it. Back through the long dark tunnel and we again emerged into the misty part of the forest.

But how would we get across the fog this time? He wasn't a wolf any more, so I couldn't help him jump across. But as Link was holding his lantern out in front of him, suddenly a monkey darted out of the bushes and snatched the lamp right out of Link's hand. It held the lamp above it's head on the top of a branch and swung it around wildly. Then it turned around and waved at us, like it wanted us to follow. A monkey?

"Hey, what's this monkey's problem?" I popped out of Link's shadow and glared at him accusingly. "You idiot! While you were staring off into dreamland, your lantern got stolen!"

Imagine! A great hero letting a monkey get the better of him! Just because he was busy admiring the purple fog! Useless human.

I hopped back into the shadows, deciding to let Link get his lantern back on his own. To my dismay, instead of attacking the monkey, he followed if into the thick of the fog. But somehow as she wildly waved the lantern around, the light chased away the mist and clear a pathway. The monkey was actually guiding us through the mist? How strange. She led us all the way through the fog, leaving us to get rid of a few monsters on the way.

And when we reached the other side of the wood, the monkey dropped the lantern and hopped away down the path. Well, at least we got the lamp back, even if it was out of oil.

We raced back towards the forest temple, but Link skidded to a halt just before the pathway to the entrance. The reason for this was obvious. Barring our way was a wolf. A golden wolf with only one eye-a red eye.

The wolf crouched down, ready to launch itself at us. Link drew his sword just as the wolf lunged. It struck Link, and he fell to the ground. No sooner had the boy fallen that the golden wolf vanished.

Just as I was starting to think that Link had been hurt, he stood back up again.

"What on earth happened?" I asked.

Link glanced down at his shadow, where I was still hiding. "It was a ghost. He taught me the ending blow."

"What is that?" I asked.

"A sword technique."

"Really. Well, let's see it then."

Link hesitated. "Um… okay." He drew his sword again and jumped into the air, bringing the blade straight down into the ground. If it had hit an enemy, it wouldn't have lived long. As it was, the sword sunk deep into the soft soil. He tugged at the hilt trying to pull it free. I popped out of his shadow and fell over, laughing. He tugged several more times and finally dislodged the sword from the earth.

I rolled over, clutching my sides and laughing like crazy. "You… should… have… seen… yourself!" I gasped between laughs. "The great hero sticking his sword into the ground! Hee hee!"

Link glared at me and wiped the dirt off the blade, stowing it back in its sheath.

When I finally got my breath back, I returned to his shadow and he walked up the pathway, grumbling darkly about me and the stupid stalfos ghost that had taught him that sword move.

Back at the giant tree trunk, we found that the entrance was now clear. When we got inside the temple we were reunited with our little monkey friend. And the next couple hours were spent following her around in a wild goose chase as she had us free a bunch of her monkey friends that had been caged by monsters. Who would bother to cage a monkey anyway?

During our little game of hide-and-seek, we met up with the monkey boss. He attacked us with a strange boomerang that could create a small tornado-the Gale Boomerang. He was in a strange room with a ring of columns in the middle. He jumped from column to column while hurling the boomerang at us. Link found that if he rolled into the column the monkey was standing on, he could knock the monkey boss off balance and he'd get hit by his own boomerang as it made its return trip. When he fell off, Link would slash at the monkey with his sword. In the end, the monkey boss's big butt was his undoing. As the monkey hopped around in pain after Link's sword had its say, he crashed into a column and a weird bug fell off his head. That bug had been controlling him and had made him behave… badly. But the monkey boss quickly came back to his senses, and he fled from us in terror. But he left the boomerang behind so we were able to make use of it throughout the rest of the dungeon.

Talk about strange. We met a chicken creature with a human head. Apparently her name was Oocoo. She says she'll be helpful, but all she looks like to me is some freaky mutant creature. Well, we'll see. We may end up needing all the allies we can get.

At one point we could go no further as we faced an immense chasm that stood between us and the Fused Shadow. We'd have to find a way to get across it.

So we decided to rescue the rest of the monkeys. And once we'd rescued all of them, they all went to the room with the chasm and climbed up a branch and hung upside down, holding the ankles of the monkey below them. They'd created a chain of monkeys! They were going to help us cross the chasm that lay between us and the first fused shadow!

Link bravely leapt off the platform and grabbed the hands of the bottom monkey. They swung us across the chasm and we entered the final room where the boss lurked.

We were in an immense chamber. In front of us lay an acidic pool with a few bomb bugs perched on floating logs. Suddenly, two enormous deku baba heads erupted from the water. It was Diababa, the monster set to guard the fused shadow.

Link sprung to action. He used the Gale boomerang to catch a bomb bug, and then the wind carried it into the mouth of the first Diababa head. It groaned and sunk beneath the acid lake. The second head lashed out, trying to swallow Link whole. He quickly dodged and aimed the boomerang again. A second bomb was forced into the open mouth of the monster. And it too sunk beneath the water.

Was that it? That was easy!

But wait…

Suddenly, something else burst out of the water. Those two heads weren't the only part of Diababa It was huge! The enormous bulk of the monster appeared. There was a third head in the middle of the two others. And there seemed to be a sort of eyestalk inside of the mouth. That eye looked vulnerable, but there were no more bomb bugs. They had sunk under the water as Diababa had reemerged. What could we use to hit that monster?

The two other heads lashed out at us. Link dodged. But suddenly a familiar sound rang throughout the chamber. A monkey. The monkey boss was back! And he had brought a bomb bug! It looked like he wanted to make up for attacking us before. He swung across the chamber by a vine, holding out the bomb bug for us to catch. Link carefully aimed the boomerang, but missed. It was hard to time the monkey's swing for the boomerang to catch up with him. Finally Link caught the bomb bug with the boomerang's whirlwind and brought the explosive crashing against the side of the monsters middle head. It roared in pain and collapsed in front of Link, who promptly slashed at the exposed eye with his sword.

It quickly regained consciousness and spewed acid at us from its mouth. Link barely leapt out of the way in time, but some of it did singe his sleeve a little.

One more bomb and another series of slashes were all it took to destroy Diababa. It flailed around, screaming out its dying breath, and then shriveled away.

Link did a dramatic victory pose with his sword. The remains of the monster exploded into twilight squares, which formed themselves into a welcome shape. They had become the fused shadow.

I laughed and hopped out of the shadows, taking the Fused Shadow in my twilight hand. "Well done! That's… what I was looking for. That's a Fused Shadow." He'd earned the right to learn what they were called at least. "It's what the light spirit called dark power. Do you remember what that spirit said? About how you had to match the power of the king of shadows? Could it really be so easy? Is this all there is to it?" Fighting a few monsters was nothing. We could do this easily!

"There's a total of three Fused Shadows," I continued. "I think the other light spirits have the rest. If you want to know exactly what Fused Shadows are… Well, maybe I'll tell you if you find the other two. I guess you'd better do your best to find them, huh? Eee hee hee!" I sure wasn't going to tell him about the power of the Fused Shadows until I had them all. I still didn't trust him completely, and I didn't want him taking the other two for himself.

I pulled the Fused Shadow safely down to hide with my twilight hand. "So, let's not waste any more time here when we could be looking for the other two. I'll get you out of here." I created a portal to take us back outside. He stepped into it, and the two of us warped back into the sunlight.


	11. Following Scents

Here's the next chapter

So, I realized I did get a little lazy on this chapter, so I went back and added some more detail. Hope it's better. I did go back and fix my other chapters too.

Chapter 11: Following Scents

We appeared at Faron Spring and the voice of the light spirit greeted us.

"Heroic Link, Do not think that Hyrule is now saved from the spread of Twilight." Well, I could have told him that. And what's with everyone calling him "heroic Link" all the time? They're gong to make him get a big head. Luckily I'm here.

"Leave these woods and go to the west, where you will find the land protected by the spirit Eldin," the spirit continued. "There you will find those you seek. But know that these lands lie in twilight… They are now a dark realm covered by the clouds of dusk. If you set foot beyond the curtain of twilight, you will revert to your beast form, so be prepared. Hero chosen by the gods, leave these woods and go west to the land of the spirit Eldin."

So, those kids I saw the boars take… they were at our next destination. That would sure help motivate Link. But there's something I don't understand. Why did they take Link to the dungeons of Hyrule Castle and take the other kids somewhere else? That doesn't make any sense to me.

I popped out of Link's shadow to have a word from him. "That's better. Searching should be much easier now. Eee hee! But… Of course, you feel the need to go help the other light spirits, don't you? Well, don't worry. When you turn into a beast again, I'll take good care of you. The first thing you need to do is find the land covered in twilight. Once you do, I'll help you out. Eee hee hee! See you later!"

Once I was back in his shadow, Link turned and walked out of the deep woods. We passed the lantern guy's house and found that the gate to Hyrule Field was finally open.

We finally left the trees of Faron Woods and Hyrule Field opened up vast and green ahead of us. It would take a while to walk to our next destination. I wondered what had become of the horse I saw at the spring earlier. It would sure come in handy now. Especially with strange club-wielding goblins dotted about the field.

When we finally reached the west end of Hyrule Field, we were hailed by a mailman. He was kinda freaky. He warned us about a black wall barring the way ahead, gave us a letter, and dashed off. The letter was basically saying that he was a delivery man. Well, that was obvious enough.

And sure enough, as we passed between two hills, we found the foreboding black shadow that was the entrance to twilight.

I emerged. "Hey, it was much closer than I thought. You remember, right? You know what this is? If you set foot in there, you might be a wolf again for quite some time. For at least as long as it takes for you to save the light of Eldin from the twilight, anyway. So, shall we try to go see the light spirit of Eldin? Eee hee!"

Link boldly approached the twilight.

"Want me to let you into the twilight?"

He nodded.

So, again I glided out of the world of light and felt that wonderful twilight close around me. No time to soak it in, though. I reached out and pulled Link in after me. He remained human for a few moments, then he shifted back into a wolf. I dropped to my old spot on his back.

"That's a good boy! Now, you need to listen to what I say from now on! Ahh, look! How lovely! The black clouds of twilight are so fetching today. I feel so much more at ease here. And you look so much better like this than in those dusty old clothes, anyway. Eee hee! So, let's get going!"

Just inside the twilight, we caught sight of something in the road. It was a toy sword. It must have belonged to one of the kids from Ordon.

Link walked to it and did a very wolfish thing. He smelled it. That must be the beast awakening in him, because most humans wouldn't think to smell something. And now he could follow the scent from the toy sword to wherever his friends were.

"See, isn't being a wolf more convenient? Now hone your senses. You've begun to reawaken as the wolf, I think. Eee hee!" The wolf I needed to save my world.

We emerged into a second part of Hyrule field. This one was cut in half by a huge chasm. But before we could reach the edge, another twilight barrier sprang up and the trio of twilight monsters ambushed us. I used my forcefields to help Link finish them off, and their bodies created another portal.

We approached the edge of the gorge. The front of a bridge was there, but the rest of it was gone. There was no way to get across.

"What's this?!" I groaned. "That's strange… The bridge is gone. I wonder if this is the work of those shadow creatures… Ugh… What a pain! Ah well, let's look for it… You! Whenever you destroy those creatures from the darkness, a portal opens. You hear me? It's called a portal. You'd better remember that! And… in those woods we came through… yes! It's got to be around there! I'll use my power to take you to the location of the open portal."

I remembered that in Faron we had passed what looked like a bridge on its side. Link nodded to me, and I warped us out of twilight.

And, sure enough, when we arrived in the woods, there was the bridge.

I was back in my shadow form, so I appeared to help with the bridge.

"See! I told you. We're here! You know, most people can't leave the twilight that easily. You'd better be grateful!" I floated over to the bridge. "Wow! It's perfect, don't you think? So, let's take it."

I used my twilight hand to engulf the bridge in magic. The bridge creaked, and slowly lifted into the air. I dissolved it into twilight squares and sent it through the portal. Then I grabbed Link ad brought him with me.

When we were back in the twilight, I rematerialized the bridge and set it in place. Then Link and I landed on our new bridge.

"See! Just as I thought!" I gloated. "Eee hee! So, isn't the power of twilight amazing?" Might as well let it sink in how powerful my world is. He's going to have to be ready for it sooner or later. "Call me if you need the power again. It should help you find what we're looking for, don't you think? All right! Let's keep going!" So, with the way clear, Link continued across the meadow, following the scent of his little friends.

Until we bumped into a big black iron gate. Behind it were two twilight goblins.

"Huh… what are they doing there?" I muttered. "This is a pretty elaborate gate… What are they trying to keep in? …Or out?" The people of the village were probably trying to lock out the twilight monsters that were around. But a gate like this wouldn't be enough to keep out twilight.

Thanks to Link's digging power, we'd probably be able to get through that loose patch of soil under the gate.

"I bet it'll be worth our while to dig in."

And once we had dug to the other side, we made quick work of the twilight goblins. Our trail now led through a canyon. We continued onwards, ready for whatever would be thrown our way.


	12. The Ghost Children

Wow

Wow. When I started this, I had no idea I'd be putting in this much detail. But Now I've started, I can't stop! So, I'll do my best, and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 12: The Ghost Children

So, this was Kakariko? It seemed kinda… run down. Most of the buildings looked abandoned. But we'd barely got more than a glance at this ghost town before we were penned in again with three more twilight monsters. Link and I destroyed them in record time, and the barrier vanished.

We were next to a spring. Just like the ones near Ordon and Faron. And hovering over the water, gleaming feebly, was a familiar golden mist. The remains of the third light spirit.

It called out to us softly.

"To the hero… who was transformed into a blue-eyed beast… in the realm of shadows… In twilight… This way."

So, Link waded into the water towards the golden cloud.

The spirit spoke again. "I am… a spirit… of light… Hero… chosen by the Gods… Look for… my light… Gather the light stolen by the shadows… into this."

This spirit didn't waste any time. 'Save me.'

We were presented with a second Vessel of Light to find the spirit's tears.

"The insects of darkness… They are the form taken… by the evil that attached itself… to my scattered light… In this shadowy twilight… the shadow insects are invisible, much as the people from your light world are…. With the last of my power… let me show you… the locations… of the tears that have turned into… shadow insects. But… be careful… The darkness… now hunts you…"

I think it's been hunting us for some time, buddy. Got anything new to tell us?

So, with the locations of the twilight bugs, we set off.

Link noticed that the scent of his friends led into a house right next to the spring. Of course, he had to go find his friend before he started looking for the bugs. But how do we get in? The door's shut. From the roof maybe? There was a tree to the side of the building.

"Hey, you can climb up here!" I said, pointing at the tree. I floated up to the branch and Link leapt up next to me. Then to an awning on the wall, and finally to the roof. There was a pile of rubbish over in the middle of the roof. Link trotted over to look at it, but the moment he stepped on it, it gave way under his feet and we fell through the roof.

We found ourselves inside a circular room with a large owl totem pole in the middle. And sitting to the side were six spirits (there was also another spirit lurking near the window).

And the moment Link used his senses, he knew he had found who he was looking for. Or... at least most of them. Though the spirits of the children were sitting there, the older girl that was with Link at the spring wasn't. He said her name was Ilia. Who knows where she got to. Along with the four kids from Ordon, there was also a man with long black hair, and a girl that looked to be his daughter. The man near the window seemed rather flighty, even compared to the frightened children. We was wearing a visor, like those worn by people dealing with extreme temperatures.

"Cripes! I don't see those black brutes anywhere," said the man by the window. Well, yeah you don't see them. We killed them.

The man made a strange gagging sound. "They've gotta be hidin' somewhere, waitin' for their helpless little prey to come out! Then they'll FEAST!"

What a jerk! Talking like that in front of children! I don't have to care about the children to see that that guy is a complete idiot.

Then the other man, who was sitting with the children, started talking.

"We are safe as long as we remain in here, child. Be at ease," he assured the boy that Link told me was named Talo. His brother, the youngest of the group was Malo. The girl was Beth, and that little blonde boy who was with Link at the spring was Colin.

"Oh yeah?" the fat guy by the window retorted. "I wonder if the monsters out there agree with you. They sure didn't seem impressed by my bombs! How long do you think we can hold this sanctuary against beasts that strong, huh?" At least that other guy had sense enough to comfort the kids, not make them more afraid.

"Once they attack, it's OVER! Remember the lady from the general store? Just one of those things attacked her, and a whole gang from town went to save her! And what happened? She was already gone, and there were TWO monsters waitin'!" So, those monsters turned that lady into another monster? I didn't know they could do that. But then, I hadn't had too much experience with light beings before this.

But the fat guy wasn't finished terrifying the kids. "You connectin' the dots? That means that if we get attacked by them, then we'll be…"

"BARNES!" shouted the other man. So, the fat guy's name was Barnes. At least he shut up.

"Heh," Barnes grunted.

Beth dropped her head into her hands and started sobbing. The other man glared accusingly at Barnes. Barnes flipped his visor down and sank to the ground, half sobbing himself.

"Look, Renado,' he said to the man who was obviously named Renado, "All I mean to say is that it's risky here, too! Ain't you got some place we can hide?" He wasn't very subtle about it.

"There is… a cellar," Renado admitted slowly.

Barnes gasped and scurried over to Renado on all fours. "WHAAT! You've got a CELLAR?! Where's the entrance, man?"

"The entrance to the cellar is designed to open when all of the candles have been lit." Why on earth would you make a door open by lighting candles? Wouldn't a doorknob work fine?

Barnes snatched up a small torch and lit a second torch in front of the totem pole. He started to make his way towards the first candle, but Renado's daughter cautioned, "I… would not do that."

Barnes caught himself in mid crawl (he was still crawling), and fell on his stomach.

"When Father instructed me to secure the cellar, I saw insects like the beasts outside," the girl continued.

Barnes gasped and scuttled away from the torch.

Beth was still crying. Colin reached out to her. "Don't cry, Beth! It'll be OK!"

Beth yanked her hand away from him. But Colin continued. He seemed used to this kind of treatment. He seemked like an outcast from the rest of the group.

"Link is coming to save us all!"

Beth stopped crying, and Talo looked up as well (Barnes just made a confused grunt).

"I can feel it," Colin added.

"Hmph," Talo mumbled.

Wow. These kids sure have a lot of faith in Link. That's cute.

"These kids knew you'd come save them!" I said to Link. "What a hero! How sad, to be right in front of someone and not be noticed at all. Eee hee hee! You are chosen by the gods, and only that keeps you from turning into a spirit, or worse, into a dark monster, when you enter twilight. And no one knows what you have done… You may be doomed to toil in obscurity forever." That stinks, to save the world, and no one knows about it. Maybe if he succeeds, he can parade around and be all important. By then, I'll be back home and I won't care anymore.

"You're the type to worry about everything, I can tell… but don't fret over Princess Zelda! She chose this state of affairs, after all." She had by giving up the fight. "Anyway," I continued, "what's with having to light candles to get to the basement?! Not very subtle, is it? So, what are you going to do now? My lonely little hero… Eee hee hee!"

Link heaved a sigh, picked up the discarded torch, and ran around the room, lighting the candles. And once the last one was lit, the owl totem pole slid sideways, revealing a hole in the floor. It someone wants a cellar, shouldn't they put it to the side of the room, not in the middle of the floor?

Obviously, the open door attracted some attention from our ghost friends.

"What sorcery is this?!" Renado exclaimed. "The entrance to the cellar opening on its own. "Could those beasts have engineered even this?"

Barnes was muttering about how he didn't think that "this Link fella" would be able to do anything to save their village. Well, if I could, I'd leave you in twilight, buddy. Too bad we have to save ya.

Link approached the trap door, and dropped into the cellar.


	13. The Second Scavenger Hunt

Chapter 13: The Second Scavenger Hunt

Here we go. I was gone again, so that's why I haven't updated in a while. This part of the game is fun. I like collecting the bugs. But the first time I played through this part, it took me forever to find my way inside the houses to where bugs were lurking. Well, at least I learned and made it through the second time much easier.

This part doesn't have too much other than searching for bugs. I tried to add as much Midna as I could, but there's only so much I can do. If you have any suggestions, I'd like to hear them. I'll try to put in more in the upcoming chapters.

Chapter 13: The Second Scavenger Hunt

Wow! What a basement. It was much bigger than I would have thought. The first room was practically empty except for a strange owl statue that was wedged in a nook in the wall. And there were three twilight bugs scuttling around in the room.

The second room had rafters circling the walls.

"How about that? Looks like you can climb the scaffolding." Were they planning on building something in here? Why else would these planks be laid out? And it looked like the ceiling was weak enough to be able to break out of.

I led him up the rafters and we burst through a thin layer of soil in the roof and emerged in the town's graveyard. What a pleasant place for a cellar. Beneath a graveyard.

There were twilight bats drifting around, but more importantly, there was a twilight bug burrowing beneath us.

Once we'd dispensed with the fourth bug, we left the graveyard and passed Renado's house again. Link sensed some of the bugs were lurking inside houses down the street. He wandered around in the streets for a while, as if he could get in through the doors. Sorry Link. Wolves don't have hands. You can't open doors.

Finally I took pity on him and suggested that we try climbing up on the roves. So we found a ledge and jumped up on the roof. A hole in the ceiling let us drop down into an abandoned house where we found another bug. I helped him jump back out of the ceiling and we headed for our next destination.

Jeez. This really is a ghost town. Renado's house was the only building that looked like it was being used. Everything else was boarded up. Except the bomb shop at the end of the street.

Across the street was a hotel. We had to get inside because there were bugs in it. Luckily there was a balcony above us. And a dirt pathway led up the side of the canyon wall, allowing us to jump onto the balcony. The bug sounded like it was hiding in the fireplace. Link found a torch hanging on the wall and used it to smoke the bugs out of the fireplace. There was another one further in the building, so on we went.

Two twilight goblins were waiting in the lobby. We got passed them and climbed the stairs to where a bug was hiding behind the cabinet.

We exited through the balcony again and went to the next building. We got in through a hole in the wall and collected another tear.

The next bug was hidden inside the bomb shop. It didn't look like there was any way in until I spotted a window to the side of the building. We climbed on top of the shed and smashed in through the window. I winced as broken glass bounced passed my head. It's lucky we didn't get stabbed.

We had to exit from the second story and follow a pathway to where a building was perched on the mountain above. It was the storage building for the bomb shop. And there were bugs hiding in the fireplace of this building too. Without thinking, Link grabbed a torch and headed towards the fireplace. He didn't see the caution signs taped around the room that warned about highly flammable material. And once he dropped the torch in the fireplace, twilight bugs sped out, scattering sparks around the room.

Instantly, fire began to blossom in every direction.

"Huh?! What did you do?! Sorry, but as romantic as this is, I'm not going to stay here with you. I'm getting out!"

I darted out of the flaming building and waited by the entrance until Link clambered out of the hole in the wall, looking panicked. I dropped onto his back and we galloped away just as the fire hit where the bombs were stored. And the whole building exploded.

Link slowly turned and surveyed the ruins of the house. Only a few bits of broken wall, and three tears of the bugs that had been hiding there were left.

"Hmm… I don't suppose there's any nicer way to hunt these things, huh?" I sighed. "Well, you had to sacrifice someone's house to find the Tears of Light… but that's how the cookie crumbles, right?" Better to lose your house than to live as a spirit for the rest of your life.

Link fetched the three tears and continued up the cliff trail to where another building was hiding more bugs. We dug in through the side and found the bug hiding in a pot.

All of the bugs in the village were taken care of. But there were still more to the north. We found a trail and headed up to it. This one led up the mountain through a smaller canyon. Ahead of us was a little cliff with a spirit standing sentinel at the top of it. A shattered ladder was half attached to the side of the cliff. That wouldn't do any good for a human trying to climb the cliff.

"Looks like the path's impassible," I commented. It would be for a human, but we're not human. "But I can get you up it if you want to go."

So, we jumped up a ledge and landed next to the spirit. It was a Goron. One of the rock dwellers who live on this mountain. Death Mountain. Not a very pleasant name for a mountain.

The Goron was complaining about standing guard.

"Ugh… Why do I have to stand guard? The ladder is destroyed so it's not like any humans will come up. And what is with the elders? If we have a problem the humans can help with, we should ask. It's better than suffering for the sake of pride."

So, the gorons are having problems, huh? Well, who isn't during these times?

We continued on up the trail until we found another bug. We found one of those funny gossip stones. It was emitting a faint song, which Link listened to and howled back to the stone. I think the melody is called the Song of Healing.

Once he finished the song, he went all funny again. That is, he collapsed and woke up a few seconds later. It must be that funny skeleton guy that had taught Link that sword move. So, he's teaching Link music in addition to sword techniques? Interesting. Link told me later that during those few seconds he was out, he met up with the skeleton in its golden-wolf form and sang a duet with him. It then told Link where to meet him to learn his next sword move.

Well, onward. There were several jets of hot air shooting up from the trail and we had to dodge around.

Suddenly the path opened up into the crater in the middle of the mountain. The other side of the crater seemed to be the home of the Gorons. But before we could get there, we had to fight three more twilight monsters and make ourselves another portal.

We made our way over a ledge opposite the trail. There was a bug hiding there. Only one left now.

Suddenly the mountain began to erupt and spouted hot boulders all around us. Link dodged frantically back and fourth, trying to avoid the hot missiles. Finally, the eruption stopped and we continued on to the last bug, which we had missed on the way in.

The final tear dissolved over us and brought us back to the spring. The twilight dissolved and I turned back into a shadow. Link was human again too.

I floated out in front of him. "Aw, I was just starting to have fun! Don't forget that Fused Shadow! Eee hee hee! See you later!" And I dove away just as the light spirit started to emerge.

Light flooded the pond and the golden orb floated into the air. A great owl appeared and perched on the globe.

"My name is Eldin," it said. "I am one of the light spirits of Hyrule. I am the spirit that guards these lands." Okay. We know this already. "O great hero chosen by the gods, the dark power you seek lies in the sacred grounds of the proud mountain dwellers. But already those grounds have been defiled, draped in shadow and seeded with evil. You must go to those sacred grounds and cleanse them."

Eldin folded its wings and dissolved into light.

So, we'd have to go back up to that mountain where the gorons were, huh? Well, that one goron spirit we heard told us that they didn't want any humans around. Would they fight us and try to stop us from approaching Death Mountain? This won't be easy.


	14. Epona

Chapter 14: Wrestling

I love Epona! I want a horse! Not only is she pretty, but it's so much faster riding her than it is walking everywhere! Someone should write an ode to Epona. Just kidding!

Chapter 14: Epona

The effects of the returned light were almost immediate. That is, they were felt by the humans hiding inside Renado's house. Because the little boy, Colin, opened the door and saw Link standing by the spring. Instantly a joyful look spread across his face.

"Link?!" He cried.

The other kids from Ordon heard Colin cry out and they ran to the door to see. Once Talo saw that Link really was there, he rushed out of the door and shoved Colin out of the way. Colin landed on his face in the dirt. Beth didn't bother asking him if he was all right and Malo just walked past. Colin sat up and watched the others. Poor kid. The others sure were mean to him.

Talo, Beth and Malo gathered around Link. Link greeted them happily.

"Ha ha ha! See, Beth?! I told you Link would save us!" One of them shouted.

Link looked back and saw Colin still sitting on the ground. Renado and his daughter had come outside as well. Colin smiled and got to his feet as Barnes joined the others. They all made their way over to Link.

"You are the one from Ordon whom these children spoke of?" Renado asked.

Link nodded.

"We are well met," Renado continued with a nod. "I am Renado, shaman of this town. And this," Barnes obviously thought that Renado was introducing him so he lifted his visor and grinned stupidly. But when Renado finished his sentence, Barnes let his visor drop back down. What an idiot.

"This is my daughter Luda."

Barnes grumbled and walked back towards the house.

Colin looked up at Renado. "The beasts took us and left us to die… but Mr. Renado found us."

"At first, I couldn't believe they had come from so distant a place as the Ordona Province," Renado said.

"Yeah," Colin whispered, "I… We don't remember much. All of a sudden everyone was captured, and then… until now… it's been like…" He broke off.

"A nightmare," Malo finished for Colin.

Colin nodded. "Yeah! It was like a terrible dream and we couldn't wake up…"

"Mmm," Renado sighed. "Nightmares are everywhere these days, it seems. This village has certainly seen its share of recent hardships." He looked up toward Death Mountain, where the Gorons live. "The dark beasts attacked, but even worse was the sudden and inexplicable change in the mountain-dwelling Goron tribe. They had long been our friends, but suddenly treated us as foes. Even now they refuse to permit us entry into their mines. It strains the limits of belief… To think that such a gentle and proud tribe could change so suddenly. It makes me wonder if something in those mines is the cause of this change." Good guess. Well, that only proves what we heard from that one Goron spirit on our way to gather twilight bugs.

"In any case," Renado continued, "You must take these children and flee this village before more nightmares descend. I, of course, cannot leave my village in such a time. There is no telling what may happen to us here… But it is my job to try to coax the Gorons back from their recent change of heart."

Wait a minute… This village is a wreck! And the only people left in it are him, his daughter, and the stupid bomb guy. Why stay if it really is so dangerous? Well, at least if we succeed in defeating Zant, they won't have much to worry about anymore. We'll help.

The Ordon kids had the same idea, because once Renado was done talking, four sets of eyes turned to Link, silently begging him to help out Renado and to try and get Kakariko back on the Goron's good side. They sure idolize Link.

Link didn't waste any time. He couldn't argue with those pleading faces. He passed through town, heading for the Death Mountain trail. Link started climbing up the first cliff, using the mesh that covered the cliff-face as handholds. But once we were at the top, we came face-to-face with the Goron guard we'd seen in spirit a little earlier.

"Ah!" shouted the Goron. "No humans allowed! These lands ahead belong to the Goron tribe! The elder said no humans may pass!"

He didn't even wait for us to turn and leave by ourselves. He curled into a ball, exposing his scaly back like a shield. Then he rolled down the trail, right at us.

Link braced himself and held out his arms in an attempt to try to stop the Goron. Idiot! You're not strong enough! Get out of the way! And, inevitably, the Goron ran into him. Even though Link managed to avoid being crushed, the Goron's momentum shoved Link backwards off of the ledge.

Link grunted as he landed on his back on the ground several yards below. The Goron looked down at him and shouted triumphantly, "A weak spirit is no match for the might of the Gorons! Do you understand me, human? Then away with you!" He turned and walked back to his post.

"Owowow," Link groaned, sitting up and rubbing his back. "That was much different from wrestling goats."

"Excuse me?" I asked, thrown off. Wrestling goats? That gave me a very strange image of Link holding a goat in a pin hold.

"Wrestling goats," Link replied, getting gingerly to his feet. "Back home if a goat starts to charge, you have to stand firm and grab it by the horns and then toss it to the side."

"I can't imagine that's good for the goat's neck. To throw him by the horns."

"It's not good for you to jump on my back so hard either," Link grumbled. "You should try giving me a massage instead." He turned and started slowly back towards Kakariko.

"No thanks. I don't give massages. I prefer to give directions. But there's no sense in trying to get passt that guy again. We'd better try to think of something else."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Link hissed. "I…" he quickly broke off because we ran into Renado. He had followed us, and he looked concerned.

"Ah. How fortunate you are in one piece!" he gasped in relief. "I saw you heading up the mountain trail, so I was worried. Are you trying to reach the Gorons of Death Mountain? It is far too dangerous, Link! They recognize only strength? A normal person could never persuade them…" He broke off, almost as if he had just remembered something. "But… I do know one person who was able to best them and earn their trust. His name is Bo. You may know him as the mayor of your hometown, Ordon."

That fat guy?

"Please, go to him. And while you are there, please let him know that the children are safe. Of course, getting them back would be best… but we could not keep them safe from the monsters on the road without a horse and cart. Please… Return to Ordon and inform the parents that their children are free from harm. Give them my word."

This was interesting. That fat mayor guy had beat the Gorons? I couldn't wait to hear this story. And at least Renado gave us advice instead of just telling us to give it up because it was too dangerous.

Link started back through town. But suddenly, hoof beats made us turn around. Link's horse, the one I'd seen at the spring, was galloping down the road. She had apparently jumped the fence that barred the other trail out of town- the one that led to Hyrule Castle. Something had scared her. She was terrified and didn't recognize Link. She was coming right at him! Link rolled to the side just in time to avoid those hooves. The horse skidded to a halt, rearing in terror.

Link sprinted forwards and jumped into the saddle. The horse whinnied in fear and took off again. Link was hanging half out of the saddle, barely managing to keep a grip on the saddle horn. He banged painfully against the back of the saddle, smashing his stomach into it repeatedly with every stride of the horse. But he grit his teeth and held tight. The horse galloped through the spring then swerved suddenly to the side. Link held on to the saddle for dear life as his horse zig-zagged through town. She stopped and reared, snorting. Link seized the opportunity to climb into the saddle and grab the reigns. He pulled her to a halt and leaned forward, stroking her and speaking soothingly. The horse slowly calmed down and stopped fidgeting.

I popped out of the shadows. "Hmm… You're not too shabby a wrangler after all! Won't this make getting back to your town a lot easier? Now go finish your errand so we can get back! Get a move on!"

I turned and looked at the horse. She really was quite pretty. She had a gleaming chestnut coat with a white mane, tail, and socks. A fine creature.

"By the way, what's her name?"

"Epona," Link replied, gently steering Epona out of Kakariko and back down the path he had taken only hours before as a wolf.

He leaned forwards and gave Epona an affectionate pat.

"Epona?" I repeated. "Isn't that the name of a horse goddess?"

Link nodded.

Hmm. Naming his horse after a goddess. Interesting. Well, each to his own. I disappeared again, hiding in his shadow.


	15. The Great Chase

The Great Chase

Okay. Here's another of the exciting parts of the game. In my opinion, anyway. Well, I mean the part with the boar. Not the wrestling part. That's just plain weird. And Colin's so sweet! Even if the line where he says, "I'm sorry I pushed you" is a little corny, it's still cute. Well, I hope I do this part justice!

Chapter 15: The Great Chase

Oh jeez. I don't want to look! I _really_ don't want to look!

Well, let me catch up. We rode Epona back to Ordon. On the way, the freaky mailman stopped us and gave us a letter. A letter from oocoo, the freaky human-headed chicken saying thank you for helping her in the dungeon.

And, we met up with the strange gold wolf again. He taught Link another sword move. Link said it was called the shield attack.

We met up with Bo, the mayor at Link's home town. He was, of course, happy to see that Link was all right. And he was very disappointed that his daughter, Ilia, was not at Kakariko. Then he told us that the way to defeat the Gorons was to sumo wrestle with them.

Oh jeez. I don't want to _loooook!_

Bo took off his shirt and was in pretty much nothing but his underwear. Link at least left his pants on.

I don't get how on Earth Link is supposed to wrestle a guy 10 times his size. And indeed for the first match, Bo did shove him out of the arena. But Link learned fast and he won the next two matches.

But how does pushing some guy out of a ring help us fight the Gorons? We still can't get passed that one Goron guard.

Wel;, Bo at least had the answer to that. He put his shirt back on and gave us a pair of iron boots. Iron boots, huh? That's new. Who on earth would want to design iron boots? What could they be used for except to walk REALLY slow and to wrestle Gorons? And maybe make you drown if you wore them in the water. They've got to be hard on your ankles.

And Bo told us to keep the boots a secret. What's with that?

Well, we got back onto Epona and made our way back across Hyrule Field.

We leapt over the shut gate that still stood in front of the village and trotted down the road, ready for action.

But we weren't ready for what was about to happen.

As we came down the path, we heard the stampede of hooves. Heavy hooves. And there was something familiar about that sound.

Link sensed it too. He kicked Epona into a gallop. And then we saw it. Ahead of us was the giant ogre, King Bulblin, riding the tremendous white boar, Lord Bullbo. Two of his goblin cronies, the Bulblins riding the Bullbos, were thundering along at his side. Heading right for Kakariko!

They turned the bend in front of town and vanished from sight. We heard a scream. Link gasped in .horror and urged Epona forwards. I could see panic starting to appear on his face. They were going for the kids again!

We rounded the bend and saw King Bulblin sitting astride his boar, holding an unconscious Colin up by the back of the shirt. Lord Bolbo reared and took off down the road, to the other end of town. Link gritted his teeth in fury and shouted for Epona to go faster!

Epona leapt the gate at the opposite end of town and we emerged into a second part of Hyrule Field. King Bulblin had already tied Colin to the top of a spear he was holding above him like a flag. Colin hung limply above the monster's head.

King Bulblin snorted and taunted Link, beckoning the boy to try and catch him. Link drew his sword, clenching his fist around Epona's reigns in fury.

King Blbin raised his horn and blew. A small earthquake started. The same sort of earthquake caused by something heavy pounding along the ground. The rest of the Bulblins appreared over the crest of a hill, waving bows and clubs and shouting battle cries.

King Bulblin and Lord Bullbo took off, charging across Hyrule Field.

"Hyaa!" Link shouted at Epona. She took off after King Bulblin, the rest of the goblins at our heels. Epona slowly gained on Bullbo and finally drew even with him. Link raised his sword, slashing at Bulblin. The ogre groaned and pulled away, sprinting out of reach of Link's sword.

Suddenly we were engulfed by the rest of the goblins and boars. Link spun his sword around, knocking the Bulblins off the backs of their Bullbos. They all fell back as they tried to regain control of the startled Bullbos and Epona charged forward again.

Link smashed his sword into King Bulblin, who roared in pain and dropped his horn. But he managed to pull away from us again. He led Lord Bullbo towards the Bridge of Eldin that covered the chasm through Hyrule Field. There was a blockade of sharpened stakes blocking the entrance, but Lord Bullbo jumped it. Epona followed, easily clearing the deadly points of the logs.

King Bulblin and Lord Bullbo had already reached the far end of the bridge where there was another blockade. We stopped at this end of the bridge, facing them.

Just then, another goblin perched atop the arch of the bridge shot a flaming arrow at the blockade behind us, setting it ablaze. No getting back that way. Nor through the other way. That one was already burning.

Lord Bullbo pawed the ground, let out a bellow, and charged forward. Epona whinnied and galloped towards the charging boar.

It was a jousting match! Epona swerved out of the way of Lord Bullbo's horns as Link slashed with his sword. We passed them and continued to the opposite end of the bridge. Epona whirled and dashed forwards again.

This was dangerous! The bridge was long and narrow, and there was no wall in the center. There was just barely enough room for Epona to dodge passed Lord Bullbo without a head-on collision. If Link wasn't careful, King Bulblin could send him flying into the chasm!

Epona headed straight for Lord Bullbo. They were going to crash! Epona wasn't nearly as strong as that massive boar! Suddenly she leapt gracefully to the side, avoiding the beast's horns and Link struck with his sword once again.

We turned and prepared for another pass. This time Link gathered all of his strength behind his sword, and as Epona glided passed Lord Bullbo, Link drove his sword into King Bulblin' knocking him off of his mount's back. He toppled off of the bridge and dropped into the blackness of the chasm.

Link released a gasp of relief as Epona reared, whinnying in triumph. Link raised his sword above his head. Oh come on. Enough of the dramatic poses! Get the kid already!

Lord Bullbo continued galloping down the bridge. The staff that held Colin clattered to the ground since King Bulblin was no longer there to hold it. Lord Bullbo smashed through the burning barrier and disappeared from sight. Link leapt off of Epona's back and rushed to where Colin had fallen. He cut the bonds with his sword and pulled the unconscious Colin onto Epona's back.

He held Colin in front of him and kicked Epona back into a gallop. She leapt over the charred debris that had been the barrier to the bridge and headed across Hyrule Field to Kakariko.

I hopped out of the shadows and landed on Epona's neck, in front of Colin.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Link gasped.

I looked at the unconscious figure. He was still breathing. That was a very good sign. I lifted his wrist and checked his pulse. That felt okay. He did look a little bruised.

"He'll live," I replied. "What do you think King Bulblin did to him? All we saw was that he'd somehow caught Colin."

"I don't know," Link said, sounding worried. "We'll ask back at Kakariko."

"_You'll_ ask, you mean," I said, ducking back into the shadows as Epona leapt the gate back into the village.

We met a terrified group of kids huddled near the spring. Renado was there as well.

"Link!" Beth sobbed as Link pulled Epona to a halt in front of them. "You got Colin!"

Well, this was interesting. Why was she so concerned about Colin all of a sudden?

"Thank heaven you're all right," Renado breathed in relief.

Talo released a gasp and relaxed.

"What happened to him?" Link asked, lifting Colin and sliding out of Epona's saddle.

Beth buried her face in her hands and sobbed, "he pushed me out of the way of that huge boar! He saved me! But the boar crashed right into him, and then took him away! Oh, Link, please say he's all right!"

Link knelt on the ground and held Colin.

Suddenly the little boy stirred. Everyone watched as he opened his eyes and looked up at Link.

Link sighed in relief and smiled down at Colin.

"Link," Colin whispered. "Is everyone… OK?"

Link nodded. Colin glanced over and saw Talo watching him with concern, and Beth smiling at him with gratitude and something like admiration.

"Good," Colin said with a little smile. He still hadn't made an attempt to move. I wondered how badly he was hurt.

Colin looked back at Beth. "Beth… I'm sorry. You know… for shoving you. Are you mad?"

Oh! What a sweet kid! He says he's sorry because he shoved Beth! Even though he was shoving her out of the way of a charging boar! Perhaps a little dramatic, but still sweet. Human kids can be so cute sometimes.

Beth shook her head. Of course she wasn't mad. How could she be? But look at the change! Colin had been the outcast! And now all the others admired him. Even that strange little kid, Malo, seemed to appreciate Colin more that he had before.

Colin's eyes turned back to Link. "I… I think I finally understand. I understand what my dad meant when he told me I needed to be stronger, like you, Link." He lifted his hand and clenched his fist, trying to flex his muscles. "He wasn't talking about strength, like lifting stuff. He was talking about being brave." His arm flopped back to his side. He must still have been pretty weak. "Link… You saved me, didn't you?"

Link smiled in reply.

"You… you can do anything," Colin continued. "You can do something to help the Gorons in the mine too, can't you, Link?"

Link gave a reassuring nod.

Colin smiled, and then fainted. Beth, Luda, Talo, and even Malo all gasped and stepped forwards.

Talo dropped to his knees and tried to pull Colin onto his back to carry him, but he wasn't strong enough. Renado scooped Colin up. Everyone followed him to the abandoned inn down the street. Talo glanced back at Link, who stood up and watched the others go.

Once they had gone indoors, Link turned with a determined gleam in his eye and faced Death Mountain.


	16. Wrestling Gorons

(Below the dragon picture). I had to break up the link into a bunch of small parts because fanfic isn't letting me put it up all at once. So, bear with me.

dragonspen.blogspot.co

m/2008/09/insanely-complex-designs.html

No, I'm not obsessed with Midna! I only _maybe_ spent hours in front of the "Super Smash Brothers Brawl" screen looking at the Midna trophy to get her complicated design perfect! So what if I spent forever painting a shirt to look like her? Why would you think I'm obsessed with Midna? (Guilty grin).

Chapter 16: Wrestling Gorons

We found Malo in the closed up shop. He'd taken it over and was selling the dusty merchandise like he was all important, or something. Link decided to play along and bought a new shield from Malo, even though it was expensive. You'd think the little kid would _give_ his friend the shield after all Link did for them. But no. Link had to pay the full price. At least this shield was metal, unlike the old wooden one. You know what he did with the old one? He gave it to me and asked me to keep it save in my fused shadow. What do I look like? A walking storage box? Jeez.

So, we once again found ourselves at the base of Death Mountain, facing down an angry Goron. At least this time Link had his iron boots on. They were too heavy for him to carry around on his own, so he had me keep those for him too. Grumble…

The Goron guard we'd met earlier started rolling at us again. With his new boots on, Link braced himself and grabbed the Goron's scaly back. He twisted around and flung the Goron behind him. The Goron cried out as he bounced along down the mountain and out of sight.

Link took off the boots (if he didn't, it would take us a week to climb the mountain since the darn things were so heavy) and continued on up the trail.

But our way was far from clear. Somehow the rest of the Gorons had gotten word of an intruder and as we ascended further up the mountain, we were met by more rolling Goron missiles. Link and his new boots dispatched of them without too much trouble.

And once again we found ourselves in the Death Mountain Crater, facing the home of the Gorons.

The mountain was erupting again, spewing out fiery hot boulders. Once it stopped, we caught sight of two Gorons on the higher levels of their dwelling. They caught sight of us. The level above them was too high to climb to. So one of the Gorons curled up and the other jumped onto his back. The bottom Goron sprung open and sent his companion into the air. He landed expertly on the ledge above. Why did I get the feeling that we'd have to do that soon?

Link hopped down into the crater where Goron guards were eying him dangerously, as if daring him to try to get passed them.

Suddenly Death Mountain began erupting again. This time, an immense pillar of stone almost as tall as the Goron's entire city dropped from the sky. It was glowing red with heat. And it landed right in front of us, spearing the ground and sticking straight into the air.

I hopped out of the shadows. "Whoa… This looks dangerous. Is this the traditional Death Mountain welcome?" I turned and looked at the immense rock. "Don't touch it. It'll probably burn you. That must have been a pretty powerful eruption to send that thing into the air."

"No kidding," Link sighed as I dropped into his shadow again.

Link stepped cautiously towards a Goron that was standing in front of a doorway into the city. But the Goron advanced on him menacingly, flexing his rock-hard muscles. Link wisely backed off. But we had to get in somehow. We saw the ledge that we had gone up in the twilight. The one between us and the hot spring. Maybe we could do that Goron-trampoline thing to get up there. There was a Goron handily positioned just below the cliff.

Link approached, and the Goron advanced again. It threw a punch, which Link deflected with his new shield. As the Gorons was knocked off guard, Link took out his sword and poked the Goron in the stomach. The Goron automatically rolled up in the defensive position. Link quickly leapt onto his back. The Goron, feeling Link's feet on his scaly back, Exploded open and sent Link into the air. And we rolled safely onto the ledge above.

As we continued up the trail, the mountaintop exploded again, sending out the hot boulders. We had to use a few more Goron "elevators," and since each one was higher than the last, the risk of falling became greater.

On the third level, two more Gorons rolled at us and Link had to throw them to the side. Two more Goron elevators landed us right in front of a doorway.

And we were in at last! Jeez, these Gorons sure weren't very hospitable.

And this room proved it. The building we had just entered held eight Gorons. Two were in the back, guarding the entrance to the mines. But six of them were surrounding what looked suspiciously like a wrestling ring. Great.

Once those six Goirons caught sight of us, they automatically rolled up and got ready to charge us. But before they gathered enough momentum, a voice called out.

"ENOUGH!"

Instantly all of the Gorons unrolled.

The source of the voice was a Goron that was coming out of the mines. The two guards parted respectfully, even though this Goron was shorter than they were. He had hair too, I might add. Well, some. He must be important.

"Is this young one such an imposing enemy that you must all gang up on him?" He asked. "I think not, Little Brothers."

Link walked up to the Goron.

"I am a Goron elder, little human," he explained. "I am called Gor Coron. Because of certain… circumstances, I must lead the Goron tribe in place of Darbus, our tribal patriarch. Tell me, little human, do you come from the village below?" He didn't wait for an answer but continued talking. "You have done well to come this far. You are strong… for a human." He really doesn't like humans, does he?

"However," he crossed his arms, "The mines beyond here are sacred to my tribe. Outsiders are not allowed. Unless…" A grin spread across his face. Why did that seem ominous? "I could make an exception… but you would have to beat me in a contest of power. Are you willing to try that, little human?"

Link nodded determinedly.

Gor Coron stepped passed Link and onto the wrestling arena. Link quickly put on his iron boots and stood opposite the Goron elder. Something told me that this wouldn't be as easy as wrestling Bo. And it's interesting that the Gorons didn't comment on the fact that Link changed shoes just before the match.

And they're off! (At least this time Link kept his shirt on). For several minutes, the two of them dodged, smacked, and lunged at each other. Sometimes Link got pushed towards the edge, and sometimes Gor Coron got pushed away. But finally Link was able to shove the Goron out of the ring. He looked tired, but pleased with himself. I have to admit, he did do pretty good job. Even with heavy boots, most humans still aren't as strong as Gorons.

Gor Coron, who was still sitting on the ground, looked up at Link in amazement. "Young Warrior… You have a strong will… and sharp eyes." He was breathing hard from the match. He pushed himself to his feet. "Fine traits… Want to see how well you can use them?"

Link nodded and stepped out of the arena, taking off his boots as he did so.

"You have seen it, I would bet," Gor Coron continued. "The mountain, erupting without pause. When the mountain began to rage, all four of us elders and Darbus, our patriarch, went inside to investigate its anger. We have a treasure that was entrusted to us by the spirits, and we must protect it. Do you understand? But the moment Darbus reached out and touched the treasure… everything went wrong. He collapsed… and before our very eyes transformed into an unspeakable monster! He began to rage through the mines, trailing ruin behind him… and the eruptions grew more frequent and more severe. We used all of our strength to seal him deep inside the mountain. It… grieved us to do this to our patriarch… but we had no other course of action. I ask this favor of you, young warrior… Go to the aid of Darbus! Make no mistake, the spirits have guided you here. I, Gor Coron, need your help. On behalf of my entire clan, I ask you for your aid." He turned to the two guards positioned in front of the mine entrance. "You two! Let the young warrior pass."

The guards stepped to the side, revealing the entrance to the mines.

So, a treasure had turned the Goron king into a monster? That sounded like the power of the Fused Shadows. And Gor Coron couldn't have been more right when he said the spirits sent us here. They had literally told us to go to the mines. Hah!

Well, Link bid farewell to the Goron elder and stepped bravely into the mines.


	17. The Goron Mines

So, we're finally to the second dungeon

So, we're finally to the second dungeon! Well, that took longer than I thought. So, I'm not going to spend too much time on all the little details (partially because I didn't record the whole dungeon. That would have taken up too much tape, and I already taped too much extra stuff that I didn't mean too…). I'll try to capture the general idea of the Goron mines though. Tell me if you have something specific you want me to add.

Oh, a note about lava. When we went to Hawaii, we hiked out to where the lava was flowing into the ocean. And there were some holes in the dried lava where you could see hot lava down below. And the big one was so hot that you couldn't get closer than 10 or 15 feet. So, this dungeon isn't very realistic because that lava would be too hot to get that close to. And isn't it nice that even if Link falls into the lava, he can come back to life and try again? Not so in Hawaii. Even though Hawaii is one of the greatest places on Earth! Okay, I'm done digressing. Onward.

Chapter 17: The Goron Mines

Hot, hot, HOT! These crazy mines are hot! I guess the Gorons aren't as sensitive to heat as we are. I mean, they're practically made out of rock! Too bad Link can't turn into a Goron or something. Don't they have magic masks that let you turn into a different species?

The first chamber consisted of a rock platform. But below the platform, at the bottom of a 15 foot drop, was a river of molten lava. I don't know how many of you have ever been that close to lava before, but it's REALLY HOOOOT!

Link stepped to the edge of the pathway and peered down at the lava. It was so hot that he immediately started sweating.

"Jeez," he whispered. "How do they stand this heat?"

"Beats me," I muttered back. "Let's go."

He walked out on the trail over the lava very slowly so as not to risk slipping and falling in.

But part of the trail had crumbled away, and there was a good three feet of empty space until solid rock started again. Link swallowed, took several steps back, and then started to run towards the jump.

Suddenly a jet of fire shot up from the lava directly in front of us. Link shouted and tried stop before jumping directly into the flames. But his feet slipped on the gravel and he went skidding over the edge of the pathway!

Link's fingers closed around the edge of the rock, keeping him from sliding into the lava. I leapt out of the shadows and reached out with my twilight hand. I grabbed him under the arms and pulled him back onto solid ground.

Link sat on his hands and knees, gasping for breath and shaking like mad.

"Are you okay?" I asked, a little concerned. That had been close. If anything had happened to Link, I don't know what I'd do. Wait? Did I really think that? No. I just need him to help me get the Fused Shadows. That's it. I don't _care_ for him that way!

Link slowly got to his feet. "Thanks, Midna," he whispered. "That was close."

"You'd better keep your eyes open," I suggested. "I can't always save your life."

Link nodded and waited for the column of flame to sink back into the lava. His shirt had been a little singed, but other than that, he looked unharmed.

"Enough stalling. Let's find that fused shadow!"

Link jumped across the broken path, landing safely on the other side.

So, we made our way deep into the mines. Luckily after the first chamber, we didn't run into too much more lava. But this place, like the forest temple, was one huge maze. We had to locate the three other Goron elders, who were scattered throughout the mines. We found the first one relatively easy. We didn't run into more than some giant fire slugs, and a few bulblins. That was nothing compared to what we'd been through already.

The first Goron elder was a little guy with steam coming from his back. told us that the dungeon where the patriarch was was locked and that the key had been broken into three parts. One part had been given to each elder. He gave us his key part and we continued on our way.

Guess what we found in the same room as this guy? Yep. You guessed. The freaky chicken with a human head. Ooccoo. Why on earth did we have to run into that thing again?

Here's the fun part. Throughout the mines, there are magnetic walls and ceilings. And since Link has iron boots, he could walk sideways or upside down along the walls or ceilings. And that was the only way to get through some of the rooms. I don't envy Link though. Walking sideways with nothing but a pair of shoes for support has to really hurt your ankles. And he's lucky that he didn't slip right out of the boots while he was walking upside down.

Deeper in the dungeon, we found the second Goron elder. He was taller, skinnier, and more hunched over than the first one. He gave us the second key piece, and then told us about a special weapon they had stowed in the dungeon. The Hero's weapon, whatever that's supposed to mean.

So, of course, Link followed the Goron's advice and headed for the chamber that held this special weapon. We found ourselves in a wide open cavern. Before us was a platform made entirely of the magnetic material we'd found throughout the rest of the dungeon. The platform was hanging from the ceiling by four thick chains. And below the platform was-you guessed it- lava. And on the opposite side of the platform was a huge muscular Goron wearing armor. The guard. He caught sight of us and got to his feet.

"Whoa… Human? What business does a human have coming here? None! No business! This is a forbidden place! I will protect this treasure from you!"

That figures! He thought we were here to steal their special weapon! And he didn't even wait for us to explain to him why we were really there. He leapt into the air and crashed down on the platform. The chains broke and the platform splashed into the lava, floating on the deadly hot liquid.

Link was smart enough to jump into his iron boots to not risk falling from the platform.

The Goron advanced on us, raising his fist to strike. With his soft underside exposed, Link slashed at his belly with the sword. The Goron guard quickly rolled into a ball and started rolling towards Link. Link braced himself and grabbed the Goron's armor, and then hurled him over the edge of the platform.

The guard landed in the magma and squealed in pain. He quickly jumped back out of lava and landed in front of Link. He came at us again, and Link again forced him to curl up so he could chuck him into the magma. He jumped out again, only slightly singed. And for a third time, Link hurled the tremendous Goron into the lava.

This time when he jumped out, he landed heavily on the magnetic platform and his helmet fell off. He actually had a pretty tiny head. Eee hee hee!

"Ugh… That… hurt a lot. Who knew that humans were capable of such feats of strength." He stood up.

"I'm not here to steal anything," Link explained quickly before the guard had a chance to attack again. "I'm here to see your patriarch."

"Uh… Maybe… you are… going to see the patriarch of our tribe?" Finally he understands. After he tried to kill us.

"One of the elders sent me to get the weapon that's in the next room."

"Ah! So THAT is why you are here! In that case, take the weapon of the Hero of the past. But in exchange, you must save the patriarch of our tribe!"

He looked rather guilty about attacking us as the magnets in the platform brought us back up to ground level, out of the magma. We walked passed him and entered the next chamber. And, in the treasure chest, we found the Hero's bow. So, now we have a bow and arrows. That should come in handy.

And, using his new toy, Link took us to the final elder. He actually looked more like a tiki than a Goron. But he gave us the final key shard and sent us on our way.

And finally, using the strange system of magnets that were the mine's source of transportation, we reached the door to where the patriarch, Darbus, was locked. Link unlocked the door and we entered.

The Goron king was chained by the wrists and ankles in the center of the circular room. He was bigger even than the guard of the Hero's bow, and he didn't look quite like a Goron any more. The floor of this place was magnetic too. We might need to put that to use depending on how the monster-Goron reacted to our presence.

Link walked slowly up to the chained figure. It seemed to be wearing a strange mask with a crystal in the forehead of it. Suddenly, as we drew near, the crystal began to glow with a fiery light. His two flaming orange eyes opened, and he roared at us, exposing very long sharp teeth. And then his whole body burst into flame! He ripped the chains out of the walls and stomped after us.

Link quickly backed away and pulled out his bow.

"Aim for the crystal in his forehead!" I shouted.

"I know!" Link hissed, knocking an arrow and drawing the string back. He released and the arrow speared the crystal, making the monster bellow in pain. The monster clutched his head in pain and started rampaging around.

"Trip him up!" I shouted again.

Link saw the chains trailing from the monsters ankles and quickly bent to grab one. But the monster was too strong and he dragged Link along the ground.

"The boots!"

"I know! I know! I'm trying to get them without letting go of this crazy chain!"

He slipped his feet into the boots and pulled as hard as he could on the chain. And the monster tripped and went crashing to the ground. The fire on his body went out and Link quickly dropped the chain and took off the boots. We knew now that the crystal was the monster's weak spot. And now that he was down, Link rushed around the beast's head and started slashing at the crystal.

The Goron monster roared in fury and pushed himself to his feet. And with another roar, he burst into flames again and the crystal began glowing once more.

Link sprinted out of range and knocked his bow again. Now we knew what to do: shoot the crystal, trip the monster, and slash the crystal. And this time, Link drove his sword deep into the monster's head. It screamed and reared back. The fire extinguished itself and then the crystal exploded. The twilight magic left Darbus's body and turned into a cloud of twilight particles. The cloud condensed and formed itself into the next Fused Shadow. At last! Now we only needed one more!

I appeared in my shadow from and took the Fused Shadow in my twilight hand.

"Eee hee hee! Well done! Now we have two Fused Shadows." I paused and thought for a moment. Yes, I think I should tell Link a little bit more about the twilight. He still didn't know who was responsible for all the trouble that had been happening around Hyrule lately. He deserved to know. I couldn't have gotten this far without him. "Hmm… You know, you've been very helpful so far, so as a reward, I'll tell you an interesting story. Zant. That's the name of the King of Darkness who cast this pall of shadows over your world." I hated calling him the King of Darkness, but if I didn't Link might get suspicious as to who I was. He still didn't know that I was the princess of twilight.

"He's very strong. You would be nothing to him in your current state. But Zant will never be my king! I have nothing but scorn for his supposed strength. Not that your Zelda is much better." Link tensed slightly at the jibe about Zelda, but I ignored it. "It still appalls me that this world of light is controlled by that princess. A carefree youth, a life of luxury… How does that teach duty?" I stored the fused shadow inside my helmet.

"But I guess I shouldn't begrudge her the circumstances of her life. She didn't choose it, after all. And I would never wish harm on her. No, as long as I can get my hands on the fused shadows, I'll be just fine." I drifted over and threw down a portal that would take us back outside. "Well, just one more left… Shall we? Eee hee hee!"

But before Link came to the portal, he walked over to where Darbus was lying on the ground. He slowly sat up and moaned that his head hurt. Seeing that he was okay, Link entered the portal and we warped back outside.


	18. The Final Fragment of Twilight

Chapter 18: The Final Fragment of Shadow

Okay! Here we are to the final bit of Twilight. It's cute when Colin's stuck in bed and the girls are fussing over him. Poor kid! Hahah!

Chapter 18: The Final Fragment of Twilight

We landed in the spring and were immediately hailed by the light spirit.

"Heroic Link, north of here, across the plain and past the great stone bridge, in the lands guarded by the spirit Lanayru, you shall find one who you seek."

The voice faded as footsteps approached from behind. Link turned to see Colin standing there, accompanied by Renado, Luda, and the Ordon kids.

"Link…" Colin stepped forwards to greet Link, but stumbled and fell. He was still pretty weak from before, I guess.

Link ran forwards and knelt in front of the little boy to make sure he was okay. Colin raised his head.

"Ilia… You've got to save Ilia!" he begged. "Those monsters left me with the other kids, but they must have taken her somewhere else! Whenever I thought I couldn't go on, I would think of you and Ilia and hold on, Link."

How touching.

Colin pushed himself to his feet.

"See? I… I'm fine now."

He smiled at Link, who smiled back. Link stood up as well.

" Remember what I told you back in Ordon, Link?" Well, I sure didn't. I wasn't around here then. "So you don't have to sorry about me anymore! Go help Ilia!"

Renado stepped towards us. "Leave the children to me. I will watch over them, I swear it. Do not let their fates trouble you. Go to those who need you." He paused and thought for a minute before continuing. "In Hyrule, countless tales are told of the ancient hero… and yourn deeds bring them all to mind. May the graces of the great goddesses who shaped Hyrule bear you on your way."

He and Luda bowed. After a moment, Talo and Beth followed suit. Malo, unsurprisingly, was hanging back and not saying anything. But Link looked heartened by the faith his friends showed in him.

Link followed Luda, Beth and Colin to the abandoned inn where Colin had been resting. The moment the boy was lying down in the bed, the two girls started fussing over him and waiting on him. Colin looked a little baffled by this treatment, but pleased all the same.

Once we were sure Colin would be okay, he started walking up the street. We discovered the Barnes's bomb shop had finally gotten in more bombs. Considering that his entire storehouse had been mysteriously blown up. Cough cough.

Link bought a bomb bag and bombs just in case we needed them, and we went to get Epona. Once mounted on his horse, we headed north again and galloped across the field where we had chased the giant boar just a little while ago. We started across the Great Bridge of Eldin where the fantastic jousting tournament had taken place. But we found the path ahead blocked by some tremendous boulders. Who knows how those had gotten there. But Link chucked a couple of his new bombs at the roadblock and blasted it out of the way.

He started back towards Epona again (he had dismounted to avoid frightening her with the explosions) but suddenly a twilight portal opened up over the bridge we had just crossed. Twilight magic reached out of the portal and engulfed an entire chunk out of the middle of the bridge, almost 30 feet long. It was ripped out of the bridge and dissolved into twilight squares, which were sucked back into the portal. Well, no way to get back across the bridge that way. How nice of them.

And if the destruction of the bridge wasn't enough, three twilight monsters fell out of the portal. We'd never fought twilight monsters when Link was a human. I wouldn't be able to make a force field for him.

But Link drew his sword charged at the three beasts. One of the monsters galloped towards him, and he brought it down with his sword. But there were still two left. And he had to kill them at the same time. It would be interesting to see how he'd handle this.

He backed away as the other two twilight beasts loped towards him. I could tell he was thinking hard about how to do this. Then, just as the monsters were upon him, he swung his sword in a huge ark around his body, knocking them to the ground.

And now we had another portal. But we couldn't really use this one since the bridge below it no longer existed. Oh well. So much for that.

Once we were on Epona again, we headed through the trail that we had just cleared with the bombs. It wound between rock cliffs and across a bridge. A few annoying goblins shot flaming arrows at us from the cliff edge, but we ran passed them, avoiding the hot missiles.

And finally we cam to the black and gold wall that signaled the entrance to the twilight.

"Ah, we're finally here," I sighed, drawing myself out of the shadows. "There's only one fused shadow left. So this is the last of the twilight you'll see, I guess. Whether or not you accomplish your final task and survive is up to you," I teased. "Eee hee! So, what will you do? Want me to let you into the twilight?"

Link nodded. He knew we were finally near the end of this craziness, and he was ready to clear the twilight and find the girl, Ilia. So, I glided through the curtain of twilight, reached into the light, and dragged Link in after me. He gasped and dropped to his hands and knees. And a moment later, he was a wolf again. I dropped onto his back. It was nice not to have to hide in the shadows. I was almost sorry that this was the last patch of twilight. Well, if all went well, I'd be back in my own kingdom soon enough.

"All right then, I guess I'll have to help you!" I sighed dramatically. "But what a shame that this is the last of the twilight… I had become so fond of seeing it covering this world. Or… is it really the last you'll see? Eee hee!" I might need to bring him back to my twilight kingdom and get him to help me with Zant. Hopefully with the fused shadows, I wouldn't need his help. But you never knew.

"So, shall we get going?" I tapped his sides with my heels and he grudgingly set off down the canyon trail.

Only a few moments later, we came across a handbag lying in the pathway. Judging from the look in Link's eyes, it belonged to his friend Ilia. He took a good whiff of it so that he could follow the new scent trail.

"You smell the girl, don't you?" I asked once he'd finished sniffing. "I can tell by the look on your face. Well, good. It's another clue, then. But this scent could be quite old…I wonder if she is still all right? Eee hee!"

But Link growled at me, not catching the teasing in my voice. He didn't want to think about his friend being hurt. Well, I guess I can't blame him.

He took off again, but skidded to a halt almost right after he'd started. The reason for this was that the trail had just opened up again. And at the far end of Hyrule Field, Hyrule Castle rose into the twilight sky. He hadn't seen it from a distance. Only from the rooftops.

"Hey, haven't we seen this castle before? Eee hee hee! So, we finally made it back here! Well, only a little farther, so hang in there! Or so I'd like to say, but… The going's a lot harder from here on out… Eee hee hee! All right then… let's get started." I could already see some twilight goblins further along the path. Near the river that cut across the plain.

But they were so slow-witted that Link just ran right passed them. They didn't even have a chance to attack before we were out of range. There were a few shadow kargaroks around-those tremendous twilight birds we'd seen at Hyrule Castle and Kakariko. But we managed to outrun them as well. Which was for the best, because we'd need our energy for whatever lied ahead.

We had to loop around the field because the nearest entrance to the castle was at the east side of city. And finally, we were there. We crossed the drawbridge and passed through the tall wooden gates, following the scent of Ilia.

And we found ourselves in a city inhabited by nothing but spirits. A couple spirits near the gateway were gossiping about how a Zora child had collapsed somewhere nearby and was taken to a bar. Why to a bar? Wouldn't a doctor be more practical? Oh well.

We followed Ilia's scent down the side road and into Castle Town Central Square. Glowing orbs of spirits darted here and there, not even aware that they were no longer in their own world. How strange would that be?

The scent led to a road directly opposite the one we had just exited. It entered a building with a sign labeled "medical clinic." So we knew that at least she had been to see a doctor. But the scent trail had also left the building. We continued following it down the road, and finally we arrived in a tiny little courtyard. The only things there were a few boxes piled to the side, and a doorway to a bar. And that's where the girl's scent led: into the bar. Luckily for us, the door was ajar. And we pushed our way inside. There were three spirits floating nearby: One lying down on a makeshift cot, one on a chair, and one standing nearby. The spirit on the cot was the Zora boy we'd heard about earlier. They're mostly human-shaped, but they have blue skin and fins because they live in the water. The boy was obviously hurt because his eyes were shut tight and his breathing was labored. A woman was standing by his bedside, and sitting on the chair, looking sadly at the Zora boy, was a girl that could only be Ilia.

Link stared at Ilia, obviously wanting nothing more than to tell her that he was here to help her.

Without turning form the Zora boy, Ilia asked the woman, "This boy… Can you save him?!"

"All right, little lady, try to settle down, OK?!" The woman said, trying to soothe Ilia. "I just now sent for the doctor. But this is strange… A child of the Zoras… I wonder if this is at all related to the incident the soldiers were talking about in back…"

Well, we'd have to find out about that, huh? But first…

"Aw, what an emotional reunion! Yes, a girl and her wolf! Eee hee! Sorry, but you know how it goes! These folks can't see you, either… Eee hee hee!"

The wolf boy shuffled to the back of the bar where a cluster of spirits was huddled around a table. They were all spear-wielding soldiers. One of them was standing in front of three others and was barking commands.

"We've had a ton of complaints from citizens who can't send prayers to the spring spirit of Lake Hylia. Go there! The location is the one I showed you on the map earlier! Got it?!"

So, the entrance to the final spring was blocked somehow? How interesting.

Link peered at the map that was on the table. They'd made a mark on the map of the location of the spring. It was down at the edge of Lake Hylia. We'd have to find a way to get down there. At least we knew where to go now.

So, nothing to do but leave the city and head towards the lake.


	19. The Shadow Kargarok

Chapter 19: The Shadow Kargarok and the Frozen City

Gah! The first time I got to the burning bridge, I didn't think to jump over the side and I tried to go through the flames. But it started me over because I got burnt up. Poor Link…

And I want a twilight bird! They're awesome!

Chapter 19: The Shadow Kargarok

We headed southeast from Hyrule Castle Town and found ourselves facing another bridge, just like the Great Bridge of Eldin. Like the other bridge, The Great Bridge of Hylia crossed an immense broad chasm. We peered over through the fence bordering the cliff and saw a small pond bordered by an empty rock plain. A little hut rested on the band of the pond. It was a LONG drop to the bottom. The hut looked more like a toy than a house.

Was that little puddle supposed to be Lake Hylia? It sure wasn't too impressive to look at. Unless all that blank rock around the pool was supposed to be covered in water and the lake had dried up for some reason. Well, who knows. But near the pond, all the way at the bottom of the cliff, was a cave carved into the opposite side of the canyon. That was where the final light spirit was resting. We had to find a way to get down there.

Since we had no other leads, Link started across the Great Bridge of Hylia. As we trotted further onto the stone bridge, I vaguely noticed that Link's paws were splashing on something wet. Link didn't even seem to register the fact.

"Wait… I said slowly as we crossed the midway point of the bridge. Link stopped running and cocked an ear back to hear what I had to say. "…Hey, do you smell anything funny?" It almost smelled like… oil…

Link sniffed the wet stuff on the ground, and immediately started to bristle and growl. He raised his head and spotted a twilight goblin on the other side of the bridge. It was holding a bow. And before we had time to react, it pulled a flaming arrow out of a quiver and shot it all the way across the bridge.

Instantly, the arrow's flames ignited the oil behind us. The monster pulled out a second arrow and shot the fire into the oil in front of us. The fire rapidly began to spread across the bridge, closing in on us from both sides.

"Oh no!" I gasped. "We're trapped! Get out of here!"

But there was no going forward or back, and the walls of the bridge were too high to climb over. But then we saw a wooden crate a few yards in front of us. Link didn't waste any time. He ran to the box and pushed into it with his shoulder, shoving it against the wall of the bridge. The flickering flames raced towards us. Link clambered on top of the box as the trap closed around us. I felt the heat growing more intense. There was one stomach-clenching moment as we stood on the edge of the bridge, staring down at the bottomless drop below us and feeling the fire start to snatch at Link's tail. And then he jumped.

The air raced passed us as we fell down… down… down. Link let out a terrified howl and I tightly gripped the fur on the back of his neck to keep from getting lifted from his back. I clenched my teeth, and suddenly...

SMACK!

We landed in the little pool and the cold water slapped at us from all sides as we sunk below the surface.

Link kicked for the surface and we felt air on our faces again.

We took a few moments to catch our breath.

"Phew," I gasped at last. "That was a close one. We're lucky there was a puddle down below, huh? So this is Lake Hylia… But there's so little water… It sounds like the spirit's spring should be somewhere around here as well… Anyway, let's take a look around." I kept having to pause to get my breath back.

As Link paddled towards shore, I saw the tunnel entrance to the spring. But there was a ledge in front of the cave that was too high to climb up. No doubt if the water level was higher, someone would be able to use those wooden ramps to get up there. But they were also too high to get to. It looks like the ramps were supposed to rest on the surface of the water. They connected several of the small islands that were dotted around the spring entrance. All of them were too tall to climb. At least if there was water, we'd be able to swim to them.

Link clambered onto shore. There were three spirits there. Three Zoras. One of them was standing at the edge of the lake, muttering to himself. "The drop in water has been faster than predicted. At this rate, Lake Hylia will dry up. It's a race against time…"

The other two Zoras were talking to each other as well.

"We've had absolutely no water flowing from upstream," the first one moaned.

"There's no mistaking it. Something must have happened at the water's source in our home, Zora's Domain. Yet how are we to return upstream to our home? With the way things are now, we can't even walk back there."

So, something was wrong at the source of the stream, huh? Something was wrong with Zora's Domain? Interesting. So, we'd need to get up there. If we could get the water flowing again, then we'd be able to get into the spirit's spring. But how would we be able to get up there? We could follow the dry riverbed, but it looks like the mouth of the river is blocked by a sort of dam. There would be no way to climb over it.

Link started towards the hut we'd seen from the bridge above. It was obviously built to float on the lake, but since all the water had dried up, the boathouse was grounded.

There was a lone spirit standing next to the tall, oddly shaped shack: a short, pot-bellied man an a clown-like suit. He was complaining about something.

"Hurrrm… I'm too old for this. Fyer and Falbi's Watertop Land of Fantastication… It's our grand reopening at our new lake-bottom location… Whee. Hurrrm. Yeah, nice lake… Don't lakes have more… I don't know… water? Did the Zoras who live upriver do something? Or is it a curse from that spirit that floats around up there? Whatever. It's not like I can go up and complain… That's way too high."

So, he's running a sort of theme park. No wonder he's dressed like that.

Suddenly, the man's eye caught something further around the band of the lake. It was another bow-wielding twilight goblin.

"YIKES! IT'S A MONSTER!" he squeaked and started cringing.

We left him to go and take out the monster. That was the least we could do since we were at a dead end now. No way to get out of this empty lakebed, and no way to get up to see the spirit.

The goblin saw us coming. Immediately, it darted to a patch of grass. I'd seen that grass somewhere. It had two seed-stalks sprouting from the middle that made it look like a bird in mid-flight. That strange man in Ordon had used it to call the hawk. It was a bird-calling grass! I hated to think what kind of bird a twilight monster would call!

The goblin snatched up a piece of bird grass and blew over the top, making that strange humming call: "Tweeoooooeeeeoooooooo!"

And suddenly an enormous shadow kargarok bird dropped out of the sky, hovering beside the monster that had called it. The monster jumped into a saddle on the twilight bird's back and took control of the beast.

The kargarok swooped down at us as the little goblin on its back started shooting fire arrows at us. Lionk hopped back and forth, dodging the arrows and keeping an eye on the bird. Suddenly the bird soared away, looping around again and extending its claws to rake at us. Just as it came within range, Link leapt at the bird's throat and sunk his teeth in. The bird cawed and jerked to the side, knocking Link loose. The kargarok spun away and came around for another pass. Link leapt up again, smashing headlong into the bird's throat. It flapped backwards, sending Link to the ground. But the archer on its back also lost its balance and flopped to the grass on the bank of the river. Link leapt on the goblin and killed it.

But the bird… That bird was easily big enough to carry a wolf. And I was struck by a great idea.

I floated off of Link's back and landed in the saddle of the shadow kargarok. It sensed that I was not the one who had called it, and it started bucking around, trying to throw me off.

"Hey! Stop it!" I barked. "I'm your new master now! Settle down!" I reached out with my twilight magic to bring the bird under control. He stopped fighting my control and relaxed. "Hey! Why don't we use this guy to get us all the way to the lake's water source?"

Before Link had a chance to refuse, I steered the kargarok forwards. Its talons closed around Link's shoulders and lifted him off the ground. Link wisely decided to play along, so I directed my new bird towards the mouth of the river.

Okay, birds are more fun to ride than wolves, even if they're not furry. But this ride was not very easy. The river wound through a narrow canyon and in some places, the bird's wings barely brushed the cliffs on either side of us. And most unfortunately, there were twilight goblins that started shooting arrows at us as we passed. They were seated on nooks in the cliff, or on wooden structures built in the dry river. And then they started shooting a new type of arrow at us. They attached bombs to their arrow tips, so anything they struck would explode. Though we were too fast to aim at, they found another way to impede our progress. They started shooting the cliff itself. Each time the bomb hit the cliff, a shower of rock would rain down on us. I steered out kargarok around the small rockslides, dodging between boulders falling. One rock struck his wing, making him stagger to the side. But he recovered and we continued on. And finally after several minutes of expert piloting (if I do say so myself) we exited the canyon and arrived at Upper Zora's River.

I signaled the kargarok to set Link down on the bank of the river. Once Link was on firm ground, I left the saddle and landed back on my old seat on the wolf's back. The kargarok kept flying until if disappeared over the cliffs.

"Ah, we're already here?! That bird turned out to be more useful than I expected. Well, then… Where's the village of the Zora's? Let's look for it. It's getting cold… Hurry up!"

Positioned across the top of the river (if there had been water flowing through it) was a building. And there was a spirit sitting on the steps of the building: A woman with a big afro. She seemed to be running a boat-rental place. She was complaining about the river going dry and about how cold it was.

Why was it so cold anyway? That didn't make any sense.

But there was no way to get to the other side of the river. The bank was too high on the other side to climb up. And the bridge that was built in front of the house was at the bottom of the riverbed, completely useless.

So, We jumped down from the bank and walked along the bottom of the river. Zora's Domain wasn't hard to find. The river led right from it, so we followed it upstream and neared the Zora City.

But as we progressed, it got colder and colder…


	20. The Frozen City

So, Here we are at last

So, here we are at last. It took me FOREVER to figure out how to climb the waterfall. I was doing something wrong with the jumping. I forget what. And I kept falling back to the bottom. Sigh. At least this Zora city becomes unfrozen, unlike in Ocarina of Time. That always bugs me that Sheik never thaws those poor Zoras…

Chapter 20: The Frozen City

It's FROZEN! The whole Zora City is completely frozen!

The two of us stared at the empty, icy expanse. At the far end of the chamber there were the remains of a frozen waterfall. And there were no Zoras. Anywhere. Not even Zora spirits.

"Oh… Hey… What's going on here? I thought it was getting colder… but who would have thought that it would all be frozen?! This is the Zora village, right? Why don't I see any then? Well… Anyway, let's check things out. Let's find the Zoras."

It was obviously clear that there were no Zoras on this lower level. And it seemed as though this area was supposed to be submerged in water. Farther up the stone walls on either side was a ledge that seemed to be the main walkway. Maybe we should try to get up there. But how? Since this area was meant to be underwater, there were no ladders or staircases or anything to take us there.

Link made his way to the only thing that looked climbable: The frozen waterfall. And, sure enough, there were small ice ledges along the frozen pillar of water.

"I think we can get up from here…" I suggested slowly. It would be dangerous, but we should be able to do it. "Let's go."

I floated up to guide him to safe footing. He leapt after me, but his paws slipped on the ice and he skidded right off the platform and landed on his back in the snow.

He stood and shook off, growling to himself and ignoring my giggles. And this time when he jumped he was sure to account for slippage and he managed not to fall.

I lead him up several more jumps and then we found a stone ledge along the cliff face. We followed that until we reached another part of the waterfall that he could climb.

I hovered above the first jump and then made my way to the next platform as Link skidded to a halt on the first jump. But as he prepared himself to leap again, I noticed a cruel spear-like icicle tremble dangerously above him. Suddenly it snapped of and fell towards Link. I reached out with my twilight hand and knocked it out of the way. Link started and looked down as the icicle plummeted down and shattered on the snow below.

He turned towards me. Though he couldn't speak, I knew he meant to say "thank you."

I continued leading him up the frozen falls and finally we landed at the top of the falls. It was higher than the main ledge, we'd seen from the bottom, but up ahead we could see another, smaller chamber. It appeared to be the throne room. And this too looked as though it should have been full of water, except for the rim around the edge. This water was completely frozen over into a solid hunk of ice.

But we couldn't study the room in much depth, because there were three shadow beasts prowling around the frozen ice rink.

Link leapt out at them, using my handy forcefields to diminish the monsters to twilight squares, which in turn formed us another portal that hovered in the air above Zora's Domain.

"A portal has opened here too! We can finally warp. If you want to breathe the air of the world of light for a moment, let me know. I'll take you there!" I now knew that Link would have no trouble leaving twilight. He'd done it before and gotten back in. And we still had to find out how to thaw the water.

I glanced down at the frozen lake beneath us.

"Whoa! Hey! Down! Look below the ice!"

Frozen in place beneath the ice were the spirits of all the Zoras of Zora's Domain. I saw Link's jaw drop as he used his senses to look down into the ice.

"Those… Those are the Zoras! Wow… This is really strange… What in the world happened? Hey, what do you want to do? We can't just leave them like this. I think all we need to do is thaw them out. It does us no good to just stand here thinking… Let's leave and come back later. The portal should work for us. We need to find a way to melt the ice and then come back here."

Despite my suggestion that we leave, Link stood there for a minute, looking down at the Zoras, frozen in place under the frost. How would we melt all that ice?

"So…" I muttered thoughtfully. "We need something hot enough to melt this ice. Where do we get something hot?"

Link turned his neck to look back at me. He pointed his nose at something. Towards the direction of Kakariko Village and Death Mountain. Yes! Death Mountain was one of the hottest places I've ever been! Maybe there's something there we can use to free the Zoras. Well, at least to thaw the water so it flows back down the stream again. That way we can get into the spirit's spring.

"We should go to Death Mountian then, huh?"

Link nodded.

"Got it. Let's go!"

I formed Link into a cloud of twilight squares and pulled him up into the air. I followed and pulled us into the portal we'd opened at Death Mountain.

We landed in the crater and I slid back into Link's shadow since we were no longer in the twilight.

We didn't even have to turn our heads to find exactly what we were looking for. When Link had first come to this mountain as a human, an eruption had sent out an enormous pillar of glowing-red hot rock. And it was right where we had left it, sticking upright in the ground. And it was still as hot as it had been all that time ago.

I pulled Link's shadow over my form and floated up to hover above the enormous rock, examining it.

"This thing has been here for a while now, but it's still pretty hot. Let's take it to Zora's Domain!"

I reached out with my twilight hand and threw a net of magic over the molten boulder. I dragged it into the air and dissolved it into particles, which I pulled through the portal. I brought Link and took us back to Zora's Domain. The rock dropped out of the portal, becoming solid again as it did so. As Link and I landed on the edge of the throne room, the rock went crashing down into the frozen heart of Zora's Domain: the source of the water of Lake Hylia.

The ice went spraying in every direction and quickly dissolved into water. Cool clear liquid gushed from the fountain, spraying out of the throne room and down the waterfall where it tore apart the remains of the frozen waterfall. Once the chamber below was full, the river worked its way out of Zora's Domain and began running its course back down Zora's River. The water cycle was restored.

As the water of the throne room completely thawed, the shell-shocked Zora spirits clambered out of their previous prison and collapsed on shore, coughing and gasping for breath.

"Who knew that something so dangerous would come in handy," I said. "All right…. The Zoras are safe now, so let's go. The ice melted and restored the water flow to normal. Can we finally meet the spirit of Lake Hylia?"

This had been a longer detour that I had anticipated, and I was eager to get the last Fused Shadow and destroy Zant.

Link looked around at the half-frozen Zoras to make sure that they would be okay. They seemed fine, so he trotted from the throne room and back towards the now flowing waterfall.

But before we had left the room…

"Wait!"

But we were in the twilight! No one should be able to see us!

Link turned and we came face to face with a ghost. Not just a twilight spirit, but an actual Zora ghost. She was floating above the newly thawed water and smiling gratefully at us.

"Please," she continued, "you must allow me to thank you for revitalizing both my people and this spring, which is the water source for all the lands of Hyrule. In life, I was the elder of this Zora village and the queen of my people. I was called Rutela."

Link trotted closer to get a better look at Rutela's ghost. I thought I'd bring him back to reality.

"Not to be rude, but we didn't exactly do it for you guys," I said.

The queen ignored my comment and continued.

"The dark ones… They raided this village and, as a message to my people, executed me before them. Young man… You who take the form of a proud beast. I have something to ask of you. When the darkness descended upon our village, I sent my young one, Ralis, to Hyrule Castle to inform Princess Zelda of our fate. But… I fear danger followed him from this doomed place. I feel it. His presence grows fainter to me over time. But my time in this world has passed, and though I would give it gladly, I no longer have a life to risk in his rescue. Please… Would you save my dearest, Prince Ralis? If you do this thing, I will bestow upon you the protection of water. This power will grant you the ability to swim and respire in very deep water as if you were a Zora. Please… Save my son." And she faded away.

So, something that lets us breathe underwater? Considering we were headed to a water temple next, we would probably end up needing that. Better help the little Zora kid so we can get that power. Must be the same one that was with Ilia in the bar.

"Hmm… So, if we help her, she'll grant you the power to swim in deep water like a Zora, huh? So, what do you say, Hero? Oh, but now that I think about it, I don't suppose you should meet the prince as a wolf, huh? Eee hee! So.. No hurry to return you to the world of light, then, huh?" Hint, hint.

We left the throne room and stood at the top of the waterfall. A swift current was flowing from Zora's Domain.

"Looks like the shock of that impact not only raised the water level, but sped up the flow, too. This water should flow all the way down to the lake. Why don't you let it take you there?"

So, Link leapt into the water and let it carry him down the falls. We splashed into the flood of water below. Almost half of the entire room was filled with water and it was even spilling over the ledge to the side. The current pulled at Link faster and faster, sucking him down the river and out of Zora's Domain. He let out a howl as he was swept away, past the boat house and over the dam (which would surely not be below water level once this current released its fierceness).

I thought things were going pretty well at first. Swimming all the way down the river was surely the fastest way down to the last spirit. But then Link bumped his head on a branch floating along and knocked himself unconscious. He began to sink under the water, but I quickly floated above him and wrapped my arms around his furry neck, preventing his head from going under. It wasn't easy. He was HEAVY. I was glad I didn't have to carry HIM around on MY back. We swept along down the river that the shadow Kargarok had carried us up not long ago. And the whole way I was stuck half-floating over Link's shoulders, holding his muzzle up so he could breathe since he had knocked himself out.

And at last the river canyon opened up into Lake Hylia. I could already see a vast difference in the water level. It was over twice as full as it had been when we had first landed in the little below the bridge. I slowly pulled Link in the direction of the cave that led to the spring. And by the time I had gotten him there, the water level was high enough so that I could pull him onto the bank. The bank just in front of the spring, thank you very much.

I let the wet furry Link flop onto the stairs at the spring's entrance and sprawled, exhausted next to him to rest. I dare you to try flying over a wolf all the way down a river as you keep him from drowning.


	21. The Final Bug Hunt

Finally the last of the twilight is cleared

Finally the last of the twilight is cleared! I have to say, this is my favorite light spirit. He/she looks awesome! But I really don't understand some of the images it shows Link. Like why does it make Ilia look evil? Never understood that. And the big insect queen is really ugly.

Oh, on a personal note, I just got a snake today! A baby ball python. I named it Lanayru after the light spirit featured in the chapter!

Chapter 21: The Final Bug Hunt

Finally Link stood up.

"Ugh," I grumbled. "Aren't you awake yet?"

He turned to face me, a little disoriented from his trip downstream.

"Look! We got washed all the way down to Lake Hylia, just as I predicted. And it looks like we're right in front of the spirit's spring, to boot." Thanks to me. "Talk about lucky." Maybe he'd get the hint that it was I that had gotten us here and stopped him from DROWNING. "Well, let's go! Snap out of it and get to the spirit!"

I hopped onto his back and he trotted into the cave where the last spirit lived. The bottom of the cave was full of water, and around the pathway that ran around the spring, snake designs were carved into the rock. The broken spirit of Hylia was hovering above the water, nothing more than a faint gold mist.

"I am," the spirit said, "the last of the spirits of light… consumed… by twilight. Hero… Chosen one of the gods… You have… done well to make it this far. Gather… my scattered Tears of Light… that were stolen by shadow…. Gather them… in this."

The spirit presented us with the last vessel of light. "I am sure… you know by now… the forms… that these dark insects take… when they steal… our light. In this shadow realm… of twilight… the insects… are invisible… like the humans… of this world." Yes, we know this. "Collect… my light… Life the final cloud of twilight… that threatens to cover… all of Hyrule." And with the last of its strength, it showed us where to find the bugs. And Link and I left the spring.

Once we stepped out of the tunnel, we saw our first bug. It skittered up the wooden walkway to our right and Link followed it to collect our first Tear. We were now on a ledge next to the lake. But before we could get any farther, shadow beasts penned us in and we had to fight them, creating ourselves another portal. Now at least we can get down to Lake Hylia whenever we need to.

Now that the lake was full, the strange hut we'd passed earlier was floating on the water. A wooden platform ran out to it, floating on the surface of the Lake. Link headed out to the hut, since he sensed a bug over there. But I stopped him halfway to the building. I had just seen some of the bird-shaped grass that the twilight goblin had used to gall the shadow kargarok earlier.

"Hey! If you blow that grass there, the monster bird that was just here should come back! And even if you can't play it yourself, maybe you can sit there and howl the same song." It would be kinda hard to blow on a piece of grass unless you had a human mouth.

We made our way to the floating building where the guy in the clown suit was grumbling about not having any customers. We found the second twilight insect hovering around behind his house and got another tear.

Back to shore to look for the next bug. We had to walk along some more wooden pathways and hop across more ledges that were along the same side of the lake as the spring. The last bug that was lurking around the lake was across the lake. We had to swim over to where it was hiding.

According to Link's senses, the rest of the bugs were along the Zora's river that we had flown up earlier. And there were several in Zora's Domain, and one in the Hyrule Castle Town. We needed the bird to carry us up the river so we could catch the bugs lurking there. Luckily, there was a patch of bird grass growing right where we had found the last bug.

Link sat in front of the grass, trying to remember the tune that we had heard earlier.

"Auuuuuu oooooooo Auuuuuuuuu ooooooooooooo!"

It worked! The shadow Kargarok appeared over the lake, following the tune. It swooped down and took Link in its talons. I hopped up to land in its saddle and took control of the bird.

It was harder to steer our bird upriver this time because the canyon was over half full of water now. And the stupid twilight goblins were still standing along the river, shooting bomb arrows at us. As we headed up the river, we found four twilight insects buzzing over the water. I directed the twilight bird to fly into them, reducing them to tears, which gathered in the vessel of light.

We darted under overhangs of rock and splashed through small waterfalls that flowed from the top of the canyon. And finally we were back at the entrance to Zora's Domain. There was a bug hiding next to the girl's boathouse. We crossed the river on her bridge and found another gossip stone. I knew what this meant. Link would have to howl the song to it and the skeleton guy would show him where to go to learn another sword technique. Link howled the song known as the Requiem of Spirit and entered his strange trance. He came to a minute later and continued towards Zora's Domain.

We passed a few Zora spirits that were standing near another branch of the Zora river. They said that that part of the river connected to Hyrule Castle. It would be good to remember that. We'd have to get down there soon.

But first we'd have to kill the bugs in Zora's domain. The place was much prettier now that the twilight water was flowing freely. We ran around, collecting the bugs that were hovering along the pathways of the Zora village. We noticed one pathway that seemed to lead out of the village, but it was completely blocked by ice. That's strange. I wonder why.

We had to make our way back up to the Zora throne room to where the last bugs were. We jumped along grassy ledges along the cliff face and finally bade it back to where we'd dropped the fiery rock. Some of the Zoras were still lying where we had left them, shell-shocked by the ice. It might take them a little while to recover. Well, they would be feeling better once we cleared the twilight.

Now we had to get back to Hyrule Castle. So, we swam out of Zora's Domain and let the current carry us down the other branch of the river that lead to town. We ended up by the smaller bridge we'd passed after we first entered twilight. And we had to make our way back around the entrance to town. And wouldn't you know it. At the gates we were ambushed my shadow beasts again. Now we have a portal directly back to Hyrule Castle! That's helpful.

We found the bug just outside of the bar where Ilia and the Zora boy, Ralis, were being kept. We killed it and gathered the tear. But something was wrong. This was the last bug Link sensed, but there was still room in the vessel of light for one last tear.

"Hey! What's going on? There should be one more… Where could the last tear be?"

We tried to sense it, but there was nothing. Then very suddenly, both of us felt it appear in Lake Hylia. But it had not been there when we were down there.

"What?! What's going on? This is weird."

So, we had to warp back down to Lake Hylia. Sigh.

We followed the trail to the last bug. There was some floating debris out in the middle of the lake, and that seemed to be where the bug was hiding. So we swam out and Link pulled himself onto some floating planks.

Suddenly a huge monstrous bug as large as the twilight bird erupted from the water. It was like some horrible ugly queen bee.

It buzzed towards us, but Link jumped at it and started biting it. It flung him loose and dove under the water, only to leap out and make another dive at us. Link dodged and struck again. This time it flopped in the water, stunned, and floated belly up. Link leapt onto her stomach and made the killing blow. The horrible bug squealed in pain and then exploded into twilight squares, revealing our last Tear of Light. The tear flowed over Link, filling the vessel of light. And we were transported back to the spring.

My body flowed back into shadow as light returned to the world. We had done it! All the twilight was gone from the light world!

I stood before Link in my shadow form, next to the spring. He was human again now that the twilight was cleared for good.

"You make sure to get that last Fused Shadow, now! Eee hee! See ya later!"

I ducked away as the last light spirit approached.

The water began to glow and the light orb raised itself from the spring. A huge sea serpent shot out of the water, wrapping its teeth around the orb. The light spirit.

It raised its huge head and spoke in the golden voice.

"My name is Lanayru. Your efforts have at last restored each of us light spirits in Hyrule. O hero chosen by the gods, the dark power that you seek, it waits in a temple set in the bed of Lake Hylia… But before seeking it, you must now bear witness to something and never forget it. You must know that it was the will of the goddesses that we lock away the forbidden power."

Link shut his eyes and I knew that Lanayru was sending him images. But I couldn't see what they were. I did hear what the spirit was saying to him though.

"When all was chaos, the goddesses descended and gave order and life to the world. They granted power equally to all who dwelt in the light, and then returned to the heavens. The lands where the goddesses descended came to be known as the Sacred Realm. For ages, the people lived at ease, content in mind and body. But soon, word of the Sacred Realm spread through Hyrule, and a great battle ensued. Among those living in the light, interlopers who excelled at magic appeared. Wielding powerful sorcery, they tried to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm. It was then that the goddesses ordered us three light spirits to intervene." I guess Ordona wasn't included. "We sealed away the great magic those individuals had mastered. You know this magic. It is the dark power you seek… the Fused Shadow. O hero chosen by the goddesses… Beware. Those who do not know the danger of wielding power will, before long, be ruled by it. Never forget that."

Link suddenly gasped and fell to his knees. I wondered what he had seen.

Lanayru had vanished into the water as Link was in the strange trance. But its voice said "That dark power that you seek is within the sleeping Lakebed Temple in Lake Hylia."

So, now we need to get that underwater suit! Onward!


	22. Memories Lost

Chapter 22: Escorting the Prince

Sigh. Ilia lost her memories. Well, I don't got much to say here. So, enjoy!

Chapter 22: Memories Lost

So, we're at Lake Hylia. At the bottom of a ravine. How on earth are we supposed to get back up to the Castle town where the Zora prince is? We can't get to the temple without saving him and getting that stuff that lets Link breathe underwater. Luckily I don't need to breathe when I'm in my shadow form, but Link isn't as lucky.

Well, there was nothing else we could do. So we went to the clown guy's shack that was floating out in the lake. Maybe he knew how to get up to the top of the cliffs.

Well, he did. He had a sort of fair ride that would send you to the top. Well, that didn't sound too bad.

He greeted us by mumbling about how he thought all the Zoras had dried up with the lake, and then telling us about the temple at the bottom of Lake Hylia. When he realized we wanted to get to the top, he got very excited. "The HEIGHT of excitement, the THRILL of launching to the heavens, the very PEAK of flying fantastication. It can be YOURS, fella! For a limited time only, and without waiting in line, it's a paltry 10 RUPEES! Whaddaya say, buddy of mine? Wanna give it a shot?"

Leave it to a business guy to make something sound so exciting. We were just getting a lift back up to the top, right? So, Link paid the money and stepped into the transportation device the guy had floating on his shack. I think he said his name was Fyer. But I can't help but think there's something slightly sinister about the way he cackled as the door to the room shut behind us. How would this shack get us back to the top anyway?

WAAAH! A CANNON! This room is a cannon! To our horror, we found our selves shot out of the top of the crazy cannon and speeding towards the upper surface. We landed on some guy's deck. Turns out the guy up here is a business partner of Fyer. His name's Falbi. He sends people down to the lake, Fyer shoots them back to the surface. Crazy.

As Link started to leave the deck of Falbi's house, I popped out of the shadows to remind Link of what we had to do next.

"Whoa! That reminds me of something." I was referring to what Fyer had said below. I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him since we were… er… launched up here. "Didn't the late queen in Zora's Domain ask you to do something? She asked us to find her son! The one who's been missing since he headed for Hyrule Castle. I think she said something about granting you some special power if you rescued him? If the final piece of Fused Shadow is on the bottom of Lake Hylia… then it looks like we're going to need that ability!"

I let him mull that over as I returned to his shadow.

Well, nothing new in Falbi's house. I mean, the guy had a whole room full of Hylian chickens-cuckoos. But we'd seen weirder, right? Oh well.

Link found the horse-shoe shaped grass growing by the bridge that we'd had to jump off only hours ago. Just like the bird grass, if he blew horse grass, Epona would come to wherever he was.

So, he called Epona, and we rode back to Hyrule Castle Town.

And whaddya know. That golden wolf guy was waiting outside the gates to teach Link another sword move. So, I had to wait as Link went into a trance and learned another sword move: the back slice, as Link told me afterwards.

And then the mailman stopped us. We got 2 letters. One from Barnes saying he'd gotten a new type of bomb. We should check thqt out. And one letter from the girl we'd seen with the boat house at the top of Zora's river. She and her sister had some sort of theme park thing.

And finally, we were able to get into town.

But before we returned to Telma's bar, Link stopped to look in a store named Agitha's castle. Well, it wasn't a store. It was the house of a very strange little girl with an unhealthy obsession with bugs. Not that I've got a problem with bugs, unless they're the enormous hideous twilight bug queens. Blah. But this girl, I think, liked them a bit too much. At first, she said that she thought Link was a grasshopper because he was dressed in green. And then she said that she was having a party for bugs… Oddly enough, link had caught a pill bug, so he gave it to the girl. And she gave him a wallet and offered to pay him 50 rupees for any other bugs he brought in! Sheesh!

So, Link escaped Agitha's castle and finally headed to Telma's Bar.

Just as Link walked through the door, he heard an annoyed voice cry "That is a Zora child! This is beyond my expertise! Hmmmph!"

The guy was a doctor, apparently. He was old and hunched over with enormous glasses. But he didn't even look at Ralis, the Zora prince. He didn't want to even try to cure the kid just because he was a Zora! Some doctor. He shoved past Link and left the bar.

As the door slammed behind the doctor. Ilia ran over, shouting after him.

"Doctor, wait! If something isn't done, this child will…" but she broke off, knowing the doctor couldn't hear her. She stopped just beside Link, but turned away without even looking at him.

Link let out a small gasp and tried to catch her eye. She turned and looked at him, then turned away again without so much as a hello, or even a smile. It was as if she didn't even know him. But when I'd seen them at the spring, they seemed to be good friends. I wondered why she didn't greet him.

Ilia shuffled away and Link took a step towards her, but then stopped.

Ilia sat down next to Ralis, who was still unconscious on the makeshift bed. Telma was standing by him, and there was a fluffy white cat at her heels.

"Well, this isn't good," Telma sighed. "A human doctor won't do, huh?

The cat hopped up to sit at Ralis's feet and Ilia bent her head and let out a sob.

"That old coot reminded me, though," Telma said thoughtfully. "I've heard of a shaman in Kakariko Village, in the Eldin lands, who's tended Gorons and Zoras."

Ilia gasped and jumped to her feet. "Is that true? Perhaps if we take him there…"

Just then, the soldiers who were at the back of the bar stepped forwards.

"Inadvisable! Too dangerous!" said the man who appeared to be in charge of the other soldiers. "But we can't turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either. Yes, we'd better escort you! Am I right, boys?!"

All five of them cheered and waved their spears in the air.

"Well, isn't that nice," Telma said, turning to Ilia. "To reach Kakariko, we've got to cross two plains that are each infested by dangerous beasts. But we'll be safe now."

At her words, the soldiers stopped cheering and lowered their spears. As Telma wasn't looking, all of them, except one who wasn't paying attention, snuck out of the bar. Then the last one noticed with a start that all of his companions were gone. He let out a little squeak and fled the bar. They were afraid of fighting monsters? No wonder Zelda got overthrown! Her army is positively useless!

Telma growled angrily. "Cowards! Don't EVER show your faces here again!"

Then she caught sight of Link for the first time.

"Oh my! Looks like we've got one young swordsman left!"

Link stared at her. "And not only that," Telma continued, "but it looks like this brave young man will escort us, so get ready to go, honey. Pronto!"

Ilia nodded and dashed to the back of the bar.

Link stared after her, baffled by her inability to recognize him.

Telma walked up to him.

"You know that girl, don't you? It's a real shame… She can't even remember her own name right now. Bless her heart. She found this poor boy collapsed in the road, so she did all she could to save him. More courage in that girl than in all the soldiers of Hyrule, for sure!" I can't deny that. "You lend your strength to her, you hear me?"

Ilia had lost her memory, huh? That's strange. I wonder how it happened. Maybe she hit her head.

So, Telma hitched up her horse to her cart and Link helped her carry Ralis out to the cart. Ilia sat in the back with Ralis as Telma sat in front to steer her horse. Link mounted Epona and we headed to the Bridge over Lake Hylia.

And now that the oil had all burned off the bridge, the enemy had found another way to block passage. Our old friend, King Bulblin, was back, patrolling his giant boar back and forth across the bridge. Well, here we go again.


	23. The Escort

I told you before that I was a crazy perfectionist, so I feel like I need to justify myself. About the sword techniques. I know some of you know what I mean. I've mentioned before that I'm writing this from my own recording of the game, and I accidentally skipped the second sword move in my story (I went back and added it, just so you know, and I did fix the problem in the last chapter too). So, when I got to the third meeting place, he taught Link the second move. So, it's not completely my fault (well, yeah, I accidentally skipped it, but if you DO skip it, he does teach you the moves in order, no matter where you meet him). Sorry. I'm rambling.

Okay. First time playing through this part of the game, it took me FOREVER to find out why Telma's horse kept running in circles. Sigh. Stupid birds. All right. I'll shut up now. Here's the next chapter!

Chapter 23: The Escort

Telma, Ilia and Link looked down at the bridge from a lookout point near the city. Behind us, Epona was standing next to Telma's cart, the Zora boy safely inside.

"So you say the bridge to the west has been destroyed, huh?" Telma muttered, looking down at King Bulblin and Lord Bullbo pacing back and forth across the Great Bridge of Hylia. "Then our only option is to cross the bridge to the east. You see what that means? You'll have to deal with that thing."

Well, let's get this over with. Telma and Ilia climbed into the cart, and Link mounted Epona.

As we trotted towards the bridge, Ilia leaned out of the back of the cart and spoke to Link.

"Th-Thank you so much for this. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"

He tried to look normal, but I knew he felt horrible for his friend. "My name's Link."

For one wild moment, it looked like Ilia recognized the name.

"Link?!" And then the flash of supposed recognition vanished. "I will never in all my life forget your kindness, Link."

"Little lady," Telma said from the front of the cart, "I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko. This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild… like a feral beast." No, that's not ironic (or weird) at all. "We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay. If we make it to Kakariko safely, we'll just thank him then, OK?" Didn't sound like she had much faith in Link. And then she blew a kiss at Link. Er… okay weirdo. You do that.

"You ready to roll, Link?" Telma continued as we drew nearer the bridge. "You've got to protect these young ones on the way to Kakariko!"

The bridge came into view again and Telma drew her cart to a halt. At the opposite end of the bridge, King Bulblin and his boar were halted, looking at us. King Bulblin had two heavy metal shields, one protecting each of his sides. Well, we wouldn't be able to defeat him the way we had last time. Link's sword would only be dulled against those shields. But now Link had a weapon that he didn't have the last time he fought King Bulblin: his bow.

"OK, it's your turn, honey! We're counting on you!" Telma called as Link nudged Epona onto the bridge.

Epona charged forwards, and the boar ran at us. Link had sensed the same thing I had about the bow. As King Bilblin approached, Link knocked an arrow and loosed it. It soared between the protective shields and hit the ogre. He was momentarily stunned, allowing Epona to dash past them and stop at the other side of the bridge. She whirled around and galloped forwards again. Link swiftly loosed another arrow and this time when it struck, King Bulblin flopped sideways, jerking on the reigns of Lord Bullbo. The boar crashed into the side of the bridge, sending King Bulblin soaring over the side and falling down into Lake Hylia.

And luckily, he had dropped the keys that unlocked the gate to Kakariko. Epona might be able to jump the gate, but Telma's horse couldn't very well carry a cart over a fence. We'd be needing that gate key.

Link dismounted to retrieve the key as the white boar staggered away, dazed from crashing headlong into the side of the bridge. Telma drove up as Link climbed back on Epona.

"Nice, honey! Keep up the good work," she called as she passed us.

We followed her down the pathway, glued to the side of the cart. There were those stupid little goblins perched along the cliffs across the bridge. They were shooting flaming arrows down at us. Link pulled out his bow again and started shooting some of the goblins down.

Then one of the fire arrows struck the wagon, setting the tarp covering it ablaze. Ilia screamed as the flames spread across the covered wagon.

"Your windy thing!" I shouted from the shadows. "Use that wind boomerang to put the flames out!"

Link hurled the gale boomerang at the wagon, and it swept the flames away.

Telma was forced to stop where the trail connected to Hyrule Field. The part of the field closest to Faron Woods. There was a gate blocking the way. It wasn't locked, so Link jumped down and shoved it open, running back to Epona as the cart continued on.

And then, if possible, more complications were added to our journey. First of all, those huge gray birds started diving down at us, kept at bay only by Link's slashing sword. And then, all the Bulblins, the stupid little boar-riding goblins, showed up again, shooting their arrows at us and the cart.

Link swung his sword, trying to keep the Bulblins away from the cart. They'd swerve away and then come back in, never leaving us alone.

Suddenly Telma's horse let out a terrified shriek and swerved off of the pathway, charging blindly across the field. Telma desperately tried to regain control as Link followed behind. While we were obsessing over the goblins, something had spooked the horse. They had circled almost all the way back to the other end of the plain before Telma could steer her horse back onto the trail.

And this time, I saw what it was that had spooked the horse. One of the big grey birds was flying over the cart, and it was carrying a bomb. I knew what had happened. The bird had dropped the bomb in front of the horse, the bomb had exploded and sent the horse into hysterics.

"Link!" I shouted. "Look up! At the bird!"

Link saw what I meant and he quickly shot the bird out of the sky.

We continued fighting off birds and boars and goblins, and at long last, we arrived at the gates to Kakariko. Link didn't even stop Epona. He jumped off her back and jammed the key into the lock, flinging the doors open. He jumped back on Epona and followed Telma into the safety of the Kakariko valley.


	24. Breathing Underwater

Okay. Next chapter. Maybe I should have combined this one with the last chapter, but I was sort of pressed for time last week. Well, we'll see how long this ends up being, huh? Ooh, it's longer than I though it'd be.

Chapter 24: Breathing Underwater

It was dark. We'd been so absorbed in the battle that we hadn't even noticed twilight passing. But despite the time, Renado seemed to have sensed our approach because when Telma parked her cart in front of the inn, Renado was waiting outside.

He took Ralis upstairs, which of course drew the attention of Colin and the other kids who were at the Inn. Colin watched, concerned, as Renado placed Ralis in the bed that had been Colin's resting place after his injury. Ilia sat at the bedside, accompanied by Luda. Renado and Luda started treating the Zora boy as Colin and Link went out to wait.

"Do you think he'll be all right?" Colin whispered.

Link smiled reassuringly. Ralis's condition was almost parallel to Colin's, so it was only natural for Colin to feel concerned for the Zora boy.

"Renado will take car of him," Link promised Colin. "He's good at that."

"I know," Colin sighed. "He is."

"You're feeling better, huh?" Link asked.

"Yep! A lot better."

"Well then. I'm sure Ralis will be fine."

And as if on cue, at that moment, Renado stepped out of the room.

"He has passed through the worst of it. As long as he rests, he should recover in due time."

Colin smiled up at Link. Link started to smile back, but Renado's next sentence cut the grin off.

"Do you know the fate of his mother?"

Link looked over at Renado, remembering the ghost that had appeared to us in Zora's Domain.

"Her welfare consumes him," Renado continued. "He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly.

Link dropped his gaze to the floor and muttered, "she was killed."

Renado nodded in understanding. "I can see the knowledge grieves you. It must be an awful memory."

"I'll stay with him until he's better!" Colin promised. "No matter how long it takes!"

Renado knelt and placed his hand on Colin's shoulder. "Is that so? Thank you, Colin."

Link glanced into the room where Ilia was still sitting by Ralis's side. Ralis was still unconscious. Luda was doing her best to comfort Ilia.

Renado followed Link and Colin down the stairs as they went to tell Telma about the fate of the Zora boy.

"He'll be fine," Link assured Telma.

Telma smiled and nodded. "I knew we did the right thing by coming here. Thanks a lot, honey."

"Hey, Link," Colin muttered, "About Ilia…"

Link turned sadly to the little boy.

"Is it true, what they said about her?"

But Renado answered for him.

"Yes, she has lost her memory, Colin, and regaining it will be no simple task. But it will be all right, child. If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again. So, Colin, I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed.

Colin smiled and nodded, and then ran back into the inn to see Ralis.

Telma leaned against the railing in front of the Inn as Renado walked down towards the spring.

"Nice to see there's still hope here," Telma sighed, watching Renado. "And it's always good to see happy results repay your efforts." She paused for a moment, then continued. "Those skills of yours… Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule?"

Link turned to stare at Telma. He realized the irony of the quote as much as I did. We'd already been fighting for Hyrule long before we met her. But she had no way of knowing that.

"What hope there is in our kingdom is frail and dying," Telma muttered. "But there's still a group trying to do what it can. And I'm a member of that group." She held out her hand to shake Link's. "Call me Telma." She stepped back to the railing and looked out over Kakariko. "I may just stay here a bit longer. I'm still worried about Ilia, and… Well, never mind about the rest."

But her eyes strayed to Renado as she said this. I assure you, if I was in my solid form, I'd have been rolling my eyes. Link followed her gaze, and when he turned back around, Telma had approached him and was leaning towards him. He blinked, slightly startled.

"Link, I want to see you again at my bar, you hear me? The bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. There's a passageway that leads to the castle from in there as well." Ooh, really? That would be good to remember.

Telma stepped past Link and started walking after Renado. But she stopped and turned back to us. "If you ever need anything, stop by. I'll be waiting for you, honey!" She winked at him again and then chased after Renado.

Link started back towards the doors of the inn, but something made him turn around.

Floating over the street before him was Rutela's ghost. She glided deliberately away from us, obviously meaning for Link to follow.

So, we followed her. And she took us into the Kakariko graveyard. We followed her all the way to the far end where a slab of stone was leaning against the cliff. There was a strange symbol etched into it. Rutela hovered over the stone, and then vanished. And as she did so, so did the stone. And against the cliff where the stone had been, there was a hole.

Link got down on his hands and knees and crawled through. At the end of the narrow tunnel, we found ourselves in a cave. We were standing on a platform in front of a small lake, and across the lake there was another island against the stone wall. Waterfalls rippled down along the cave walls. On the island across from us, Rutela was floating over a sort of shrine.

So, Link jumped into the water and swam across to where the Zora queen's ghost was waiting.

He climbed back onto ground and Rutela spoke.

"I am deeply grateful to you for aiding my son in his time of need. You were right to bring him here. Kakariko Village is a sacred place for the Zora people. It is where we take our eternal rest. My husband in life, King Zora, also rests his spirit here." She looked down at the stone shrine in front of us. So, it wasn't a shrine. It was a grave. And it had that same symbol on it that the rock at the entrance had.

"It is no coincidence my son found his salvation in this place," Rutela continued. "That which I have promised you is within this grave. During his lifetime, my husband created garments specifically for the chosen hero, garments that house the abilities of the Zora."

And as she said this, the gravestone slid back, revealing a folded suit under it. Link knelt and took the garments. There was a blue tunic, a mask, and fin-like boots.

"Now at last I can join the king in slumber. And yet… My son… He still knows nothing of my death. If you see him again, please pass on this message. Tell him he must not grieve his mother's passing. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and live on as the king of our people. And… Tell him his mother… loves him without end. Tell him…" And as the dawn reached in through the open top of the cave, Rutela's ghost faded.

I floated from Link's shadow. He'd been so absorbed with getting Ralis and Ilia to Kakariko that I thought I'd better get him moving towards our real goal.

"Well, it's a good thing you found all of your friends and picked up that nifty Zora armor. But aren't you forgetting something kind of important? That last fused Shadow. Remember what Faron the light spirit said. He said you would need the Fused Shadows to defeat the dark overlord Zant and save the world. So even if you go back now with all of the people you saved… The whole tragedy would just repeat itself. So let's go get it! We need to go to the temple on the lake bed of Lake Hylia."

But first things first. We needed to restock our supplies. And we'd heard that the bomb shop was now stocking bombs that worked underwater! Well, considering we were going to the bottom of the lake, those might end up coming in handy. So, we filled the bomb bag with underwater bombs.

Link rode Epona back to Zora's Domain to tell the Zoras that Ralils was safe. It was a good place for him to try out his Zora armor. So, he pulled on the hood and the rest of the armor and dove down into the water of the throne room. What do you know. Our giant lava rock was still there, down at the bottom of the spring. I don't know why he did it, but Link dropped a water bomb by the giant rock, blowing it up. And for some very strange reason, there was a Goron inside the rock. Somehow he had gotten stuck inside that rock before it got tossed out of the volcano. He gave link another bomb bag as thanks for rescuing him.

Outside of Zora's Domain, Link triggered another attack by shadow beasts. He used his spin attack to take them all out and open another portal. Not that I can take him through the portals if he's not a wolf. And since the twilight is all gone, he can't really become a wolf again, can he? But the owner of the boathouse, who we'd seen before, was impressed by Link's display and asked him to come inside.

She ran a canoe game. You canoed down Zora's river and shot at targets. But the lake was clogged by branches from the lake going dry earlier. So, Link volunteered to clear the path for her by using bomb arrows. Hey, we needed to get back to the lake, and the river was the fastest way.

Well, Link wasn't very good with the canoe. He was able to clear the boulders and branches from the river, but I think he banged up the girl's canoe pretty good.

Well, we were back at the lake at least. And we got a third bomb bag as a reward for helping clear the river.

SO, Link put the Zora suit back on and dove into Lake Hylia.


	25. The Lakebed Temple

Another dungeon! I was so excited to get the last fused shadow… until the incident immediately following the defeat of Morpheel, that is. I can't wait to write it! That's one of my favorite parts of the whole game (along with the beginning and very end). I might just have to start working on it now instead of waiting till next week! We'll see how my essay goes.

Chapter 25: The Lakebed Temple

You probably know this already, but deep water is cold. And wet. And we had to go all the way to the bottom of the lake. The temple entrance had been blocked with a boulder by the Zoras. They wanted to keep all the monsters locked in. How refreshing. More monsters. An underwater bomb was all that was needed to clear the boulder up, though. And then we were in.

Let me tell you, the underwater tunnel that led into the temple didn't seem like a good beginning for this place. It was infested with giant chomping clams and shocking jellyfish. Link managed to dodge the clams, but was slightly fried by the jellyfish. When we surfaced, his damp hair was sticking up slightly from static, making me snicker with amusement.

So, water temple, here we come! Zant, look out! We're about to get the last Fused Shadow!

The central room of the temple was a giant round room that took up several stories. The middle was filled with water, and there were several doors all around the outside. A rotating staircase granted access to the different doors.

There was a sort of island in the very middle of the room, and the only way to get through the doorway on the island was to fill the center of the chamber with water, all the way to the ledge. So, we set about finding the water pumps that would flood water down the canals. Something told me it wouldn't be easy.

Okay. We met Oocoo again. Just thought I should mention that.

And eventually we found ourselves in a large, apparently empty chamber. Some strange little mutant tadpoles dropped from the ceiling and sunk their teeth into Link's ankles. He quickly got rid of them, massaging his ankles and muttering darkly.

But tadpoles dropping from the ceiling? That was a bit odd.

I looked up to see what was on the ceiling.

"Um… Link, you might want to look up about now."

Link paused in the rubbing of his ankles and looked up at the ceiling. His jaw dropped and a look of repulsion came over his face. I didn't blame him.

Hanging from a stalactite on the ceiling was one of the ugliest things I'd ever seen (except for maybe that giant twilight bug). It was some huge fat toad about the size of an elephant with little tadpole things clinging to its back. Well, this would be interesting.

The toad thing dropped down from the ceiling, landing in front of us with the force of an earthquake.

The tadpoles jumped off its back, snapping at Link's feet. As Link was busy killing the little slime balls, the toad monster jumped up onto the ceiling again.

And then, a shadow fell over us. A somewhat toady-looking shadow. The toad was trying to flatten us!

Link rolled out of the way just in time and the toad slammed into the ground, knocking itself silly and giving Link enough time to slash out with his sword.

After a few more flattening attempts, Link did enough damage to send the toad thing reeling back and keeling over. But before it died, it spit out a disgusting blob of muck. I was all for leaving the blob of slime alone, but Link thought he saw something in it. Well, he did. He found a clawshot. It's a sort of chain with a claw-grabby thing on the end, so you can pull things towards you, or pull yourself towards something else, like a chain fence or a wall covered in vines. It was actually a pretty cool weapon, once Link washed all the slime off of it.

With a brand new weapon in our arsenal, we continued on and at long last we were able to fill the temple chamber with water. Now we'd be able to reach that little island in the middle. That's where the last fused shadow was being kept.

Link swam out and opened the door. Well, here comes the monster guarding the fused shadow. I hated to think what this one would be like.

But the room was empty. Except for a hole in the middle of the floor.

There was nothing else to do. Link jumped down through the hole.

And he fell.

Until he hit water.

So, he put on his fancy iron boots and sunk all the way to the bottom of the strange lake.

The floor was covered in sand. In the middle of the floor, there was some tentacle thing sticking out of the sand.

As Link walked towards it, an eye swam up through the tentacle. Like the tentacle was hollow or something. It stared at Link for a moment, and then sunk back down below the sand. And then more tentacles sprang up from the sand. Almost ten of them. And then something else pushed itself up out of the floor. It was some sort of anemone thing. All the tentacles were connected to some central mouth thing. And the eye slid in and out of each tentacle. It was Morpheel.

The eye was the target.

Link swam out of the reach of the waving anemone arms and took out his clawshot. He needed to get that eye over here so he could kill it.

But the tentacles were waving so much that it was hard to aim for the constantly moving eye. Link could move closer and get a better shot, but then he'd be in range of the monster's grip. He didn't want to be flung into that giant mouth, that's for sure.

Finally he was able to hook the eye and he dragged it towards him with the clawshot. He drove his sword into it, but it wriggled free and bounced back to the anemone.

Once in possession of its eye again, Morpheel sunk below the sand. For one moment, there was silence. And then a rumbling sound filled the chamber. Something worse was coming. We could tell. And then something erupted from the ground in front of us. That anemone thing was only Morpheel's head. This thing was MASSIVE! It circled around the chamber, and Link wisely decided to get out of the way of its head. He swam above it to avoid that huge mouth, and then he saw the eye again. Instead of passing through the tentacles that wreathed its head, it was now lodged on the back of its neck.

As the giant eel-like monster swam in circles, trying to swallow Link, Link tried to get himself close enough to the eye to hook it with the clawshot.

Then Morpheel swung its huge head around and Link found himself facing the huge gaping mouth. It sucked the water in, trying to pull Link down its throat, but he aimed his clawshot and sent the claw out to hook onto the skin by its eye. The chain of the clawshot reeled in, landing Link right next to the eye. He slammed his sword down into it. Morpheel roared in pain and shook Link loose, sending him swirling away through the water. Link got his balance and quickly set about getting above Morpheel again. He came down over the head, using the clawshot again to land him on the scaly back. And this time when he struck with his sword, Morpheel let out a moan and smashed head-first into the rock wall of the water chamber. Link had let go just in time to avoid being flung against the wall himself.

The tremendous force of Morpheel's skull crushing against the wall knocked a huge crack in the stone and all the water began to flush out. And as the last of it drained away, Morpheel's body shattered into twilight squares.

And the twilight residue formed the last fused shadow.

Feeling giddy and victorious, I lifted out of the shadows.

"There it is! The last Fused Shadow. I'll just take that, thanks."

I took the fused shadow in my twilight hand. But I felt kind of bad for Link. He'd fought through countless monsters to help me get these things. He'd been locked in a dungeon, forced off a bridge, jousted a giant ogre, and found that his friend had lost her memory. And he couldn't even touch the Fused Shadows due to the shadowy twilight aura that surrounded them. And he still didn't know exactly what they were for. They were the only way to destroy Zant and regain my throne in my twilight realm!

"Now, don't resent me for all I've put you through. I NEED this thing! Besides, we have to do something about Zant, the one who thinks he is the king of shadows. His power is a false one. I'll prove it using these!" I brought the fused shadow into my mask with the others we'd worked so hard to gather. "So… I've done everything I needed to. I'm sorry for dragging you all over the place with me."

I wondered if he would help me fight Zant if I asked him to. I didn't REALLY need his help anymore now that we had the Fused Shadows. But he was a good fighter. He'd proved that several times already. But I should let him return to his life. He'd done so much for me. And now that we'd gotten what we needed, I was able to look back and see how much I appreciated his help. I'd been kind of annoying sometimes, and let him do a lot of the actual fighting. But it would all be worth it because now his world would be free of twilight. Would that mean I'd have to say goodbye? I'd gotten more attached to him than I would have thought possible. And the thought of saying goodbye hurt more than I wanted it to.

I drifted over to open a portal back to Lanayru's spring. I threw down the twilight magic and floated above my portal.

"So… Shall we go?" But it came out a little more hesitant and sad than I meant it to. I had the Fused Shadows! What did I have to be sad about? A goodbye? Saying goodbye to a boy from the light world? Link didn't even know that I might be leaving soon. I wasn't sure how to tell him. I could tell he liked me too. Since he first saw me locked in that dungeon and started snarling at me… there'd been so much of a change between us. Instead of only using him to get the Fused Shadows, I now thought of him as a friend. And I knew he though I was his friend too.

Link walked to the portal with a bounce in his step. As far as he was concerned, the quest was over. He'd fulfilled his part of our agreement. I tried to relax. We'd be going back where we belonged now. Both of us.

Link pulled off his Zora armor before entering the portal. Now that the water had drained, he didn't need it anymore. And then I took him outside.

We landed on the edge of the spirit's spring, looking out over the water. Link turned to leave the cave, and we came face to face with Zant.


	26. The Quest Destroyed

Wah! I've been waiting to get to this part forever! So, here we are! Hope I do this section justice!

Chapter 26: The Quest Destroyed

If I had been in my solid form, I probably would have screamed.

Link gasped and took a step backwards. He hadn't met Zant yet, but I didn't need to tell him. He knew who it was.

Zant must have just been waiting for us to leave that temple. He was barely three feet away from us, staring down at Link. His strange mask covered his face, but I could tell that somewhere under there, he was wearing a very unpleasant expression.

Maybe this could be our chance! I just need to wait for the right moment to use the fused shadows… But that wasn't logical. We weren't in twilight. I wasn't at my strongest here. Somehow Zant could remain solid in this world. But I couldn't.

Suddenly the spring behind us radiated light and Lanayru, the serpent spirit, shot out of the water, rearing up behind Link and snarling at Zant.

Zant didn't even budge at the appearance of the light spirit. And before any of us could react, a shockwave of power shot from Zant, flinging Link and I backwards onto the ground. Lanayru, however, was the one who was hit hardest. It was slammed against the back wall of the cave, leaving its light orb hanging unprotected.

Zant casually reached out towards the light orb, and with his magic, plunged it into darkness.

I felt the light pull back from my shadow, and twilight engulfed me. The twilight ripped me away from Link's shadow, automatically changing me into my solid form. I was left beside Link who lying motionless, stunned from the sudden shock of Zant's magic. He had turned back into a wolf.

"Zant!" I growled furiously. I was filled with so much loathing that I thought I might explode. How dare he! We had worked so hard to clear this twilight, and he had brought it back with nothing more than a flick of his wrist!

Suddenly Zant's magic grabbed me by the arms and threw me back, pinning me in the air above the spring. I gasped, unable to resist, except for kicking uselessly at the air.

And then the unthinkable happened. Zant took the Fused Shadows! He pulled them right out of my helmet and held them before him, eying them casually.

I cried out, horrified. I tried to break free from his hold, but it was useless. He was stronger than I. No! We had gone through so much to get those! He can't take them away! Give them back!

Zant's hated voice echoed around the chamber. "Did you honestly mean to take an ancient and withered power like this and turn it against me?"

He carelessly flung the Fused Shadows away, sending them somewhere where he knew I wouldn't be able to get at them.

"You are a foolish traitor, Midna. Why do you defy your king?"

"My KING?" I spat in disgust, still unable to budge from my locked position over the water. How dare he call himself my king? How DARE he call me a traitor? "You who do nothing but abuse the magic of our tribe? You must be joking!"

"How dare you?" Are you implying that my power is… our old magic? Now THAT is a joke!"

He flung me through the air, and smashed me against the ground behind him. I cried out in pain as I crashed into the earth.

"This power is granted top me by my god! It is the magic of the King of Twilight, and you WILL respect it!"

A red sphere of evil power gathered in the air in front of Zant. He held, showing off his supposed power. What was it? And if it wasn't twilight magic, then how could we defeat it?

I pushed myself partway off the ground and turned to glare at Zant.

At that moment, Link came to his senses. He raised his wolf head and saw Zant standing there. But he didn't see the magic orb that Zant was holding, and he leapt towards him. He rammed head-first into it. For one moment he hung suspended in the air, and then the force of the spell threw him backwards. He skidded along the ground, coming to a halt next to me and not moving.

I gasped and jumped to his side. That red orb had contained a curse! It was on Link's forehead-a strange orange and black spike. I tried to grab it before it sank in, but I was too late. It slowly sank into Link's forehead.

"No!" I whispered. "No! He won't be able to turn into a human again with this thing on him!"

It disappeared beneath Link's fur.

Before I could do anything else, Zant grabbed me with his magic again. He pinned my arms behind my back and held me in front of him, my back barely brushing against the shoulder of his cloak.

"My Midna…" he hissed softly in my ear. "Did you forget? That beast is one of the light dwellers who oppressed our people." It was true. The light beings had been the ones who had banished our people to the twilight. But that didn't mean all of them were evil. Link was my friend! He was…

"No matter how much you may desire otherwise," Zant continued, "you will never be more than a shadow in their world. You cannot consort with their kind!"

My eyes strayed to Link, who was sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

"But if we can make their world ours, Midna… light and darkness will meet at last." But it couldn't work that way! Just as I was a shadow in Link's world, his people were no more than spirits in my world. I knew I loved the twilight. It was my home, my kingdom! But it couldn't be forced upon the light world!

"Our tribe will take back their realm… and sweet darkness will blot out this harsh light! And that, Midna, is why…"

There was a sinister clicking sound as the mouth part of Zant's mask clicked open. His breath hovered around my ear, sending chills down my spine.

"I need you. Not just for me, but for all of our people… Lend me your power."

I'd had enough. I broke free of his hold and dropped to the ground. I floated back to Link's side. I would not side with Zant! I would not side with him no matter what he promised! He knew nothing but corruption!

Zant stood motionless for a moment. "So be it… I will return you to the light world you covet!"

His magic wrapped around me again. I cried out as he threw me over the water. I didn't even have time to try to break free.

And then Zant broke the hold of twilight.

The spirit, Lanayru, rose up from the water, ready to strike out at Zant, ready to snuff the twilight beast out of the light world. Except Lanayru didn't hit Zant. Zant had placed me directly in front of Lanaryu, so I absorbed the full force of its attack.

The serpent's head paused barely inches in front of me, and the light surrounded me, covering me, and ripping the twilight out of my soul. It felt like I was being torn apart. I'd never felt anything so horrible. Being turned into an imp was nothing compared to this. I felt as if every fragment of my body was burning and freezing at the same time. I wanted to black out. I wanted to die. I just wanted the pain to stop.

I screamed.

Lanayru tried to break off the attack, but it was too late.

The light had buried me completely.


	27. Zelda's Magic

Oh no! How could they do this to Zelda? Anyway, installation 2 of Midna's worst day ever. Hope you like it!

Chapter 27: Zelda's Magic

The light grew brighter and brighter, and then it vanished.

But I felt something. If I felt, didn't that mean I was still alive? There was something furry beneath me.

I was stretched across Link's back. My arms and legs hung limply at his sides.

I hurt everywhere. But I didn't feel solid somehow. I felt… empty. Empty as a shadow drenched in light. I thought I might fade away like a wisp of smoke.

I opened my eyes. We were outside. Grass was beneath us. Somehow Lanayru had transported us outside, away from Zant. She had at least gotten Link to safety… Even if it was… too late… for me.

Link was still a wolf. Even though Zant had returned the world to light, Link was still a wolf. It was the work of that Zant's curse. Only one person could help him now…. But no one could help me. My shadows were rapidly fading. I just had to hold on long enough to get help for Link… and possibly for my own people-the Twili.

A golden voice echoed through the air. Lanayru was speaking to us from somewhere. I heard it as though in a dream. Nothing felt real anymore, except one deep feeling: I had to help Link.

"Link, hero chosen by the goddesses, Go to the princess locked away in the castle. That princess holds the key that can unlock you from your shadow form."

"Link…" I gasped, "H-hurry… Hurry… to… Zelda."

I felt drops of rain fall on my back. The constant swaying of Link's furry back beneath me was jarring. With each pace, I felt a fresh wave of fire wash over me. I wasn't meant to be in my solid form in the light world, but I still was. The light hadn't finished tearing me apart. It was just happening more slowly than it had under the bright blast from Lanayru.

But even though the motion of the wolf below me hurt, it gave me hope. He was still here. I wasn't alone. As long as he was alive, there was hope for both worlds. My… friend… could help.

All I could see was the grass swishing by beneath us as Link ran towards Hyrule Castle with all speed. He thought that Zelda might be able to help me too. But I knew that wouldn't work. The only way someone could help me is if they lent me their light, and that would mean that they would turn to shadows. A different kind than my shadows, but still just as empty. They'd give up their strength and spirit. And I couldn't do that to Zelda. I'd never ask her to do that for me…

Suddenly frightened screams echoed around me. We had entered the Castle Town, and the citizens were cowering in fear of the wolf in their midst-the wolf with the strange imp flopped over his back.

I wondered if Link had remembered what Telma told him. There was a secret entrance to Hyrule Castle from her bar. He had to get to Telma's Bar.

Suddenly the shouts of "Beast! Get out!" shrieked at us. Link was knocked head-over heels, nearly sending me flying. But he quickly regained his balance and nudged me back up onto his back with his nose.

He had tried to get into Telma's bar, but they had thrown him out. Not that I blamed them. Most people would panic if they saw a wolf walk into their bar. But now the door was shut. Link couldn't get in.

Link slunk away from the door, disheartened. How would we get in now?

"You there!"

And then Telma's cat appeared. I didn't see where she came from, but quite suddenly there she was, standing before us.

"You're Link, correct?" The cat asked.

She trotted over and gave Link a good sniffing.

"Mmm, yes, I thought so. I could just tell, you know."

She circled around us. "I'm Louise. Do you remember meeting me in this shop before? Though I don't think we were properly introduced. In any case, I must tell you, I'm a bit puzzled as to why you look like that. Really, dear, you can't blame the humans for tossing you out, the way you look."

Then her eyes fastened on me.

"Oh… Another patient? You certainly are a curious sort."

"Plea… Please," I gasped, "Princess… Z-Zelda…"

Louise looked away, and then turned and walked back towards the bar. There was a pile of crates against the wall, and a window was perched at the top of the crates.

"This way!" Louise called, looking up at the window. "Here, get in through the window. The attic is connected to the castle's waterway. It's an old waterway, though… so it could be a rough trip. Well… I suppose all that's left to do is make sure that the humans don't notice you."

Link pushed one of the crates over so he could climb up to the window. The warm air of the bar replaced the cold rain. I watched vaguely as Link stepped carefully around a ledge around the ceiling of the bar. I heard voiced beneath us, but I didn't pay them any attention. It was getting harder to focus. But there was a group of two men and a woman gathered around the table at the back. I wondered vaguely if they had to do with the group Telma belonged to-the one trying to help Hyrule.

Then Link stepped through a tunnel and we were in another room. The floor was carpeted in gold coins, and a blue lantern was hanging in mid-air. It was a poe-ghosts that carry lanterns and attack passersby. Link would be able to see the poe if he used his senses. Otherwise, only the lantern was visible.

Link leapt at the poe, almost dislodging me from his back. But he managed to kill the poe and rip it's soul out. That's the only way to kill a poe.

In the same room, there was a strange statue on a throne. I started talking to Link. It said something about being cursed to look like a statue. The only way to break the curse was to kill all the poes. But as thanks for killing this poe, he opened the passageway that led to Hyrule.

Link dropped into the tunnel and we found ourselves sliding down a sort of stream.

Then we were out of the water. I was so weak that I could barely focus on where we were going. There were some giant spiders and cobwebs. Lots of bats and cold, empty chambers.

And then we were back in the water systems… where I had first met Link. Would it be where the two of us parted?

And then we were on the rooftops again.

The wind blew the rain past us. The cold droplets stung my skin.

And then we were inside again. In the stairwell that led to Zelda's rooms.

Link walked through the door and looked around.

My grip on Link's cold, wet fur finally failed. I slid off his back and landed on the floor.

Link quickly turned around to see if I was okay.

Then a hand rested on my shoulder. It was Zelda. She was kneeling behind me.

"Please…" I whispered, "Please tell me… How do we break… the curse on this one?"

Zelda took my hand between her hands.

Link, who had looked up to see Zelda, shifted his gaze back to me.

"This… is the one… You need him… to save your world!" It was my fault that their world was threatened by Zant. If I had just kept him from taking power… If I had stopped him from taking the Fused Shadows away from me… their world would be safe. And if Link beat Zant, then Twilight would be safe again too.

"That's why… Princess… Please… You must help Link…"

Zelda held her hand out towards Link. I caught sight of that strange symbol on her hand. The same one I'd seen on Link's hand when he first entered twilight. The glowing symbol of the Triforce.

"What binds him," Zelda said, "is a different magic than what transformed him when he first passed the curtain of twilight. It is an evil power. Our world is one of balance… Just as there is light to drive away the darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil. Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages… the Master Sword. The Master Sword is a sacred blade that evil can never touch. Evil cloaks you like a dark veil… and that blade is the only thing that can cleave it. Link… Hero sent by the goddesses, Like you, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses."

She held her hand up, showing Link the glowing Triforce mark.

"Fine…" I gasped. "Link… You can… You can get to the woods… on your own, right? Princess… I have one last request… Can you tell him… where to find the Mirror of Twilight?" He needed to know where the Mirror of Twilight was. It's the only doorway from his world to mine. That's where he can find and defeat Zant.

Zelda was silent for a moment. "Midna… I believe I understand now just who and what you are. Despite your mortal injuries, you act in our stead. These dark times are the result of our deeds, yet it is you who have reaped the penalty."

Their deeds? What did she mean?

"Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you."

Suddenly Zelda began to glow. I felt warmth flood by body from her hands to mine. I gave a little gasp. I looked at my hand. I was glowing too! And suddenly I floated into the air. And then I realized what she was doing. She was transferring her powers to me! She was going to sacrifice herself to save me!

"No!" I cried. "Link! STOP HER!"

Zelda smiled at me. I tried to shout something else, but no sound came out. And then her hands which were still holding mine hand disappeared. Zelda was gone.


	28. The Forest Game

So, now we get to meet Skull Kid, huh? Should be fun. That stupid statue puzzle is so annoying though. -_-

Chapter 28: The Forest Game

I drifted to the ground in front of Link. I was still in my solid form, but Zelda had granted me her light. Now the light wouldn't hurt me. I didn't have to hide in the shadows any more.

Link and I stared at the spot where Zelda had been moments before. Where she had used her power to save me.

I hadn't been able to stop her.

I stared at the floor. We'd lost Zelda. But at least now I could help Link defeat Zant. We had to do it now… for Zelda's sake.

"We go back, Link! Back to Faron Woods!"

I flipped up onto his back. Link took a few steps towards the door and then paused.

"Zelda…" I whispered, "I've taken all that you had to give… though I did not want it."

We didn't move for a few moments as we tried to gather our senses. Then I warped us outside to Hyrule Field. Link started to trot away from the castle, which reached into the sky behind us.

Suddenly a loud rushing sound echoed across the field. Link turned and I quickly hopped side-saddle on Link's back to see what had happened.

A barrier. An immense shield of dark power had sprung up around Hyrule Castle. Now that Zelda was gone, there was nothing to stop the enemy from taking the castle. And that's just what they did. Whatever part of Zelda might have been left was now locked inside the castle. By Zant? Or by "Zant's god?"

The only way we might me able to get in was if we had the Fused Shadows. But we didn't even have those any longer. We had lost everything.

Link bristled at the barrier. I clenched a fist in fury and growled like Link. I looked down at my hand and remembered what Zelda had done for me. I dropped my arm to my side. Getting angry wouldn't help us. We had to get to the forest and find that sword.

I swung my leg back across Link's back and we set off again, this time with the enormous magical barrier looming over our hearts.

We warped to Faron Woods, but had no idea where to start looking for the Master Sword. Link trotted to the Forest Temple, hoping to find some clues there. But just before we got to the pathway that led to the temple, the little monkey from before hopped along the cliff to our right and landed in front of us.

Suddenly four strange creatures dropped from the sky. They surrounded the monkey, who cowered in fear. The monsters looked almost like scarecrows. They seemed to be made of straw of something and had strange cloaks draped across their backs. And yet the way they moved, they acted almost like marionettes.

Link leapt forwards, using my forcefield to knock out all of the scarecrow puppets at once.

The monkey looked up to see the monsters were gone.

"Did… did you save me? Th-thank you! Listen, since you're so nice, let me tell you something: there's a really pretty wooded area on the other side of this cliff! I climber over there, but when I tried to get deeper into the woods, THOSE guys attacked me! What's in those woods, anyway?"

Link nodded in thanks and walked over to where the monkey had come from. He peered along the edge of the cliff, but we didn't see anything.

"So there, another section of forest beyond this cliff," I commented. All right, Link, let's go!"

I led him to sturdy footholds along the cliff and we came to a little tunnel in the cliff face.

We found another gossip stone that taught Link the Prelude of Light. So, of course he went into a trance as his wolf spirit friend told him where to meet next.

And then we continued on. Through another tunnel, we found ourselves in a thick wood. The Sacred Grove.

And then we found another gossip stone. Except this one was different. Instead of the Shiekah eye symbol, this stone had a Triforce symbol engraved on it. The stone was humming Zelda's Lullaby. Link howled the song back to the stone.

And suddenly, a creature dropped out of the tree in front of us. It looked a little like the scarecrow monsters, except it was smaller. Just a child. He was carrying a lantern and what looked like a trumpet with several bells. He also had on a funny little suit with a brimmed hat. He must have been a Skull Kid.

Skull Kid lifted the trumpet to his mouth and blew. And then several more puppet monsters dropped from the sky and landed before us.

Skull Kid giggled and ran off through the trees. A pathway through solid rock opened up in front of him and he passed through it.

Link killed the puppet things and followed Skull Kid.

But then more monsters showed up.

We kept running, trying to dodge them since every time we killed them, more would show up.

Then we heard it. A strange trumpet tune floating through the trees. So, we followed the melody.

And it led us to Skull Kid. Since he seemed to be sending these monsters to attack us, Link leapt at him. Skull kid staggered backwards giggled, and leapt up, vanishing in a cloud of leaves. He reappeared behind us and danced off down another pathway in this maze of a forest.

Somehow it seemed like he wanted us to follow him… So we did. We continued to follow his tune, pursued by those annoying persistent scarecrow things. When there got to be too many of them on our tail, Link used my forcefields to kill them all.

And then we found Skull Kid again and Link jumped at him again. And Skull kid ran off down another pathway.

The third time we hit him, he led us through a stone archway that had not been there a moment before.

And then we found ourselves in what looked like a ruin. Walls ruse up all around us and Skull kid was standing on a stone column. There seemed to be a ring of broken stone pillars around this little arena. Skull Kid saw us walk into the ruin and he stomped up and down on the stone pillar he was perched on. He giggled again and vanished. He appeared on another jut of rock a little way from us and called down more puppets. Link ran after him, but each time he got close, Skull Kid would vanish and reappear somewhere else in the ring of rock.

And then he lifted his trumpet. Link leapt at him as he was busy playing his trumpet. He hit him, but Skull kid vanished and reappeared behind us.

Again we waited for him to blow on his trumpet, and again he vanished.

But the third time, he cried out and all the puppets disappeared. Skull Kid fell over, but then quickly got up again and vanished.

This time he didn't reappear. But his voice rang through the trees.

"Hee hee hee! … 'Bye!"

He couldn't stop laughing. It was almost as if he had enjoyed the whole thing. Like it was a game or something…. Leading us through the Sacred Grove by making it into a game of tag?

And then another archway appeared in the wall the ruins.

So, Link walked through it. And we found ourselves in another part of the ruins. We were surrounded by crumbling walls and a moss-covered floor was under our feet. Before us was a shut door with a Triforce symbol on it. The door was flanked by two stone statues that looked a bit like humans carrying huge axes. In front of the door, there was a Triforce etched onto the floor of the ruins. Just like the gossip stone that had taught him Zelda's Lullaby. So, Link sat on the Triforce Mark and howled the tune.

Then everything went dark. The two statues leapt to life and landed before us.

"We are the guardians of this land," one of the statues said. "Guide us to where we once stood. Only then can you enter the true Sacred Grove."

It was a puzzle. A series of stone blocks was magically set before us, and we had to guide the two statues back to the spots where they had stood before we woke them up. It took a REALLY long time and we had to keep bringing them back and forth. But at long last, we returned them to their original spots.

The block puzzle vanished and the doorway opened. We found ourselves facing stone steps.

"Go now to the sacred place, beast," the statue said. "We yield passage to the Sacred Grove."

Link and I exchanged glances and then we walked through the doorway and up the steps.


	29. The Master Sword

Finally we get the sword, huh? I'm in the middle of finals right now, so I'm taking a break from studying. Finals are evil. Grumble. But I've gone back and added a bit more detail due to a request I received.

Chapter 29: The Master Sword

We found ourselves in a quiet little glade. I felt magic flowing around me. This was a very special place.

At the far end of the clearing was a pedestal. Sunk blade-down into the pedestal was a sword. The Master Sword.

Link trotted up to the sword and stood in front of it for a moment.

The blade began to glow, faintly at first, but then rose to a blaze like the sun. Without warning, a shockwave of power blasted from the sword. It knocked me backwards off Link's back. I flipped through the air, very undignified, and landed on my back.

Grumbling to myself I turned back towards Link who was bracing himself against the power of the sword. How could he stand against that magic? He lifted his head and roared. And then he too began to glow. I watched as a cloud of twilight magic was forced from his body and the twilight rushed towards me, drawn automatically to my own twilight magic. I held out my hand to receive it, and the magic solidified into the orange and black spike that Zant had used to curse Link. I stared at the spike in fascination. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Where had it come from? There was some twilight magic in it, but it was mostly some strange power that I'd never felt.

There was a "shink" sound as Link's human hands fastened on the sword hilt and slid it up out of the pedestal. He slowly raised it above his head and a strange light seemed to emanate from him. I raised my arm to shade my eyes, and when the light faded, I looked at Link again.

"The sword accepted you as its master," I said in awe. No wonder he hadn't been blasted back. Maybe the sword was testing his strength. I hadn't been able to stand against it.

Link gave a few experimental swings of his sword and I flew up to him.

I held out my hand, showing him Zant's curse. "This thing is the embodiment of the evil magic that Zant cast on you. It's definitely different from our tribe's shadow magic." I noticed Link staring at the curse. "Careful… If you touch it, you'll turn back into a beast! This thing is too dangerous… It's probably for the best if we just leave it here, huh?" But then an idea came to me. A great idea. "But on the other hand… if we kept it, you'd be able to transform into a beast any time you wanted. Yes, since Zant was kind enough to give this to us, we should be thankful and use it all we can! If you need it, just call me. I want to keep a low profile, so I'll hide in your shadow when you're human, but I can change you whenever. You can be a wolf anytime you like! Also, thanks to this thing, you can warp whenever you want by switching into wolf form. Hey, but listen, Link."

My voice dropped to a whisper as I drifted over to lean against his shoulder. "I've got a little favor to ask. Would you mind coming with me to find something called the Mirror of Twilight? It's hidden somewhere in Hyrule. Yes, the Mirror of Twilight… Our last potential link to Zant!" The only thing we had left of our quest…

I let go of his shoulder and floated in front of him for a moment before sinking into his shadow. Should I tell him who I was? He certainly deserved to know.

When we left the forest, we were hailed by the mailman with a letter from Telma. She wrote that there were some people she wanted us to meet. We had not other leads, so we decided to visit her.

On the way, Link met up with his wolf/skeleton friend who taught him the helm splitter.

He also won a new quiver from some creepy guy with an arcade game.

As we entered Telma's bar, Telma exclaimed "Oh my… If it isn't Link!"

Link walked up to the bar to greet her.

"You made it! How've you been, honey?! Mercy, but you have good timing. I was just talking about you! Hey, everyone! Introduce yourselves!"

She called to a group of three people at the table in the back. I thought I remembered there being four earlier. Well, I wasn't at my best the last time we passed through the bar, that's for sure.

"This handsome young man is the infamous Link!" She turned back to Link. "You remember what I told you before, honey?"

These are those friends I mentioned, the ones who are trying to help deal wioh all the troubles in Hyrule. Actually, there's one more of us, but there's been a disturbing turn of events in the eastern desert, so he's gone to check it out. He's an older man named Auru. If you happen to meet him, definitely take the time to talk with him, OK, honey? Well, you've come all the way here, honey, so why don't you relax a bit. Why don't you be sociable and talk to these folks? They're a jolly bunch!"

Link obligingly went back to introduce himself.

He spoke first to a young man in glasses that looked like a scholar.

Oh, hello there! You must be Link correct? I'm Shad. Wonderful to meet you. Telma told me all you've been up to. You're rather formidable! I'm rather NOT, I'm afraid. Well, I'm formidable at book reading, but I lack, shall we say, physical skills. That said, if the history and legends of Hyrule are your cup of tea, I'm your fellow! If you're curious, just ask away!"

The woman in armor was who he greeted next.

"…It's Ashei. I grew up in the mountains with my father, who was a knight in his own right. He taught me the arts of war as though I was his son. Of course, lessons in common courtesy were not part of the regimen, so forgive me if I come off rude, yeah? Listen, before I blab both of your ears off, I want to tell you something. Snowpeak, the mountain to the north of Hyrule… It's unlike and mountain I've ever known. I don't know much yet, but things happen there on no other mountain I know of… Evil controls it… As soon as I know something more, I'll tell you. Until then, you should stay away, yeah?"

The last man had a helmet on. He chuckled as Link walked up to him.

"It has been a long time." He took his helmet off. IT was none other than Rusl, Link's friend from Ordon. "Link! My wife, Uli, sent word to me. I have seen the children in Kakariko Village! And, of course, I have also heard of your adventures! I must thank you for your help with Colin, Link. I barely recognize him… In any case, I am troubled by my own inaction. I want to help the cause. These friends here… I have had a connection with them for a long while. Like the others, I am gathering information now. I will let you know if I hear anything." He put his helmet back on.

Link checked the map on the table. As he did so, Telma called to him, "That old codger Auru is at Lake Hylia, studying the desert."

He was at a Lake to study a desert? I had no idea how that worked out, but to Lake Hylia it is!


	30. CANNON BALL!

Heheh. The cannons are cool. The first time in the cannon, I thought he was going to try to blow Link up or something what with the slightly creepy music and everything. Well, at least he's on our side, huh?

You know what I've noticed about my little notes at the beginning of the chapters? I've said "the first time I played the game" about 2 million times. Sorry for my repetitiveness. But the game is definitely the most interesting the first time you play through it. Especially if you don't know all the surprises that are going to happen. Unlike my crazy friends who find out the entire game ahead of time before they play through it. Sigh.

Chapter 30: CANNON BALL!

So, we warped down to Laky Hylia. Man, it's so useful to be able to warp everywhere instead of walking the whole time. It's still weird for me to remain solid in the light, but it's nice not to have to be sunk in darkness all the time. You can see things so much better from the back of a wolf than from the shadow of a boy.

We headed up the cliffs of the lake where a strange tower was sticking out like a sore thumb. What on earth was a tower doing up here?

Off in the distance, beyond the cliffs, a strange set of high columns speared into the sky. I wondered what they were for. Or where they were. Were they in the desert we had heard about?

We climbed to the top of the tower and found Auru standing on the top, gazing out on the ring of pillars off in the distance.

Link clambered onto the rooftop. Auru didn't turn at first, but said, "I thought it was about time for you to arrive."

He faced us. "Master Link, is it?" He pulled back his hood to see Link better.

It's so strange to always be ignored by all these light people. Link and Zelda are the only ones who really know what I'm doing. For that matter, they're the only ones who know I EXIST. Well, not that I really want to walk around in my current form. Weird little imps don't seem to be widely admired around here. It's not like I'm doing any of this for fame anyway. I just want to get rid of Zant. Well, now we have to save Zelda too. Everything's so complicated now… And Link…

Auru continued talking. "You do know Telma, don't you? I am Auru. I am part of the group that Telma kindly allows to meet at her bar. I have heard all about your deeds from her. Now… You being a courageous youth… You have likely heard of the strange events in the desert and come to investigate, no?"

As a matter of fact, no. We're just here because Telma told us to come here… I don't even know what we're doing here, and we hadn't heard anything about a desert.

"Or am I mistaken?" he added, noting the blank expression on Link's face. "You do know, don't you, Master Link? The Gerudo Desert once held a prison built to hold the worst criminals this land has ever known." He looked back at the ring of towers that rose up in the distant sky. A prison? Then that must mean that the Mirror of Twilight…

"The criminals who were sentenced to death," Auru continued, "were sent directly to the underworld by a cursed mirror that was kept in the prison."

Bingo. Well, not exactly. The mirror didn't send the criminals to the underworld. It sent them to the Twilight. A place of peace were even the… the descendants of the criminals could become good again. Thought that's not what they ahd intended when they created the mirror…

"Now that prison is condemned, and even the road leading to the desert is impassible."

Well, that's fun. How do we get there then? Find another giant bird to carry us?

"This desert at world's end… It still holds the cursed mirror and the malice of the doomed inmates."

That's interesting. Even though the Twilight has been cleansed of most malice, the prison that holds then mirror is still full of hate? That sounded like there were ghosts there. The ghosts of the people that had been killed before the mirror was built to banish them completely. I'd never been there. Once I'd gotten the Fused Shadow, Zant thought it would be easier to just send me out of my world. So he used his strange power to warp me to the world of light. I hadn't passed through the mirror. Little did he know that I had WANTED to go there in order to get the rest of the Fused Shadows and overthrow him. Once he found out that he'd helped me by sending my to the light world, he decided to try and win me back. And when he couldn't do that… well, as you know, he tried to kill me.

Auru hadn't finished talking yet. "These old bones know that the evil currently plaguing Hyrule is related to this wicked place. So I have come to learn the truth."

Well, yeah. That's how Zant, the root of the problem (or is he?) got here.

"Master Link, I must ask… What will you do now? Don't tell me you plan to enter the desert and confirm my suspicions with your own eyes?!"

He nodded. Like me, he'd figured out that the desert was where the Mirror of Twilight was hidden. We had to get there.

"Ah, is that so… Then let good old Auru help you out. You see Lake Hylia below us? A man named Fyer runs an amusement ride of sorts there. Give him this." Auru handed Link a scrap of paper with writing on it, which Link pocketed. "See, long ago, I saved this man Fyer's life, and now he cannot refuse me if I ask a favor. If you leave the rest up to Fyer, all should go well."

Great. That's the guy with eh cannons isn't it? No one thinks about the poor shadow as the kid goes flying through the air.

Link didn't waste any time in going to the cannon guy's place. He walked up to Fyer and pulled out the note, holding it out to him.

"Hrrrm," Fyer grumbled, taking the note and scanning it. "From old Auru, huh? Ah well, I guess I oughta do what the old coot says. Oasis flight… right? So here you go, one of our secret options not available to the general public." One of? Did I even want to know what the other secret options were? "This time's all paid for… so whaddya say? You wanna go? All righty then… But remember, next time, you gotta pay! Sweet sailing, buddy of mine. One (actually, two) for oasis… fire in the hole!"

Link stepped into the cannon somewhat reluctantly. I shut my eyes and grit my teeth. Hasn't anyone ever noticed that when something like… a bird is flying through the air, its SHADOW happens to be traveling along the ground below it? Link may be having the time of his life soaring through the air, but it's really FREAKY for me!

Bombs away. Here we go again.

I felt slightly woozy as Link landed on the desert sand, but I quickly regained my wits. There was something I needed to tell Link. He must have suspected by now, after hearing what the Mirror of Twilight was for and hearing Lanayru's story about the Fused Shadows. And I wanted to be the one to tell him. I didn't want him to find out from someone else. We needed to trust each other…

"Wait, Link."

I slowly drifted into the air and floated just behind him. Link slowly turned his head towards me. I crossed my arms behind my back, trying to figure out how to say this. "Before we go on, there's something I want you to hear… Do you remember what the spirit said about the Fused Shadows? What do you think happened to the magic wielders who tried to rule the Sacred Realm?" My eyes wandered across the desert. I wasn't sure how he'd take this. "They were banished. They were chased across the sacred lands of Hyrule and driven into another realm by the goddesses." My mind returned to the quiet peace of Twilight. "It was another world entirely… The antithesis of Hyrule, where the sun shines bright. Its denizens became shadows that could not mingle with the light. Eventually, most came to call it the Twilight Realm, and from it, none could return to the world of light. They were forever doomed to live in the twilight, flitting in the half-light of dusk, mere shadows of Hyrule. This is the history of the Twili as it has been passes down from out ancestors." I paused. Link wasn't looking at me. "Do you now understand what I am? I'm a descendant of the tribe that was banished to the Twilight Realm!" At the thought of my evil ancestors, I shouted this last sentence without really meaning to. I loved the Twilight… It was my home. During generations of living there, our people had become more than just shadows. But though we'd adapted to our strange life, it was still a life of banishment. And though our ancestors might have deserved it, the Twili who were my subjects did not.

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and continued.

"It was a peaceful place… until Zant too control of the Twilight Realm and transformed all of the Twili into shadow beasts." I shuddered at the thought of those horrible monsters that no longer had control over their actions. They didn't mean to hurt anyone, but Zant forced them to. None of our twilight magic had that sort of power.

"It's clear to me now that he somehow gained a great evil power previously unknown to our tribe. In any case, I was sent from there, and could no longer get into the Twilight Realm without his power… But there's another tale told by my people. Though the goddesses forbade us to return to the world of light, they left one link between the light and darkness. Something called the Mirror of Twilight was passed to the protectors of Hyrule."

I floated up to hover by Link's shoulder. "It's our only path to the Twilight Realm… and we must get there!" I gently lay a hand on his cheek. "You'll come with me… won't you?"

To my relief, Link smiled and nodded.

"Then you don't care that I'm descended from those… those monsters that were banished?"

"Midna," Link said, "It doesn't matter what a person's family is like. I don't even know my family. I do know that you're my friend, and that I couldn't have gotten anywhere without your help." He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

I smiled and sank back into the shadows, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.


	31. Gerudo Desert

So, Happy holidays everyone! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, whatever you may celebrate. And Happy New Year since that's in 2 days, huh?

Usually I update on Friday/Saturday, but I lost track of the day. Heheh. It's easy to do that when you're on vacation. Well, either way, here's the next chapter.

Yay! We finally get to steal the boars! The boars are cool, though Epona certainly gives a smoother ride (without the fear of galloping off a cliff either, huh? 'Cause that would ruin your whole day).

Ch 31: The Gerudo Desert

As Link tried to walk through the sand, his feet sank down into the soft earth.

"Link, why don't you turn into a wolf?" I advised. "They're better at walking over sand and snow because they have wide paws."

He took my advice and let me turn him into a wolf. Which meant that I got to come out of his shadow for a while.

But we had to be careful. There were several crevasses that ran across the desert, and falling down them wouldn't be very fun. Weird little sand bugs leapt out of the sand like fish jumping from a lake. Link dodged them and made his way towards something strange off in the distance. It looked like a square pillar of rock. And when we got there, we found that it was the missing piece out of the Great Bridge of Eldin.

Well, we were ambushed by shadow monsters, and we got another portal as we defeated them. We used our new portal to warp the huge hunk of bridge back to its rightful place. It was really heavy, but I managed okay. At least now people can use the bridge. And we can warp back to the desert whenever we want.

And we made our way to Arbiter's Grounds- the prison with the ring of columns protruding from the top that we'd seen from Lake Hylia.

And how typical. There was a camp of goblins in front of the pathway we needed to take. And several of their bullbo boars were tethered nearby, ready for use.

Link turned back into a human and pulled out his bow. He quickly shot the goblins down, but we were faced with another problem. The pathway was barricaded with a thick wooden fence. There wouldn't be any way to break that, or climb over the row of cruelly sharpened wooden stakes that lined the top. At least, that's what I thought. But Link walked over to one of the boars and untied it. He climbed on its back and kicked it forwards.

I don't know what he expected the boar to do, but he didn't think the reaction would be quite as dramatic as it turned out. Maybe he thought the bullbo would be able to jump over the fence. But as Link dug his heels into the boar's sides, it let out a loud snorting bellow, reared up on its hind legs, and stampeded forwards. Link let out a startled cry as the speed of the boar almost sent him flying out of the saddle. He somehow managed to hold onto the reigns, while the rest of him trailed out over the boar's back like the tail of a kite. It was a rather absurd scene for a hero to find himself in. And on top of that, as the boar rampaged on, Link tried to tug on the reigns to steer the thing, but its reaction time was slow and it's movements much more choppy than Epona's. And as Link aimed the charger at the fence, the boar made no move to jump over it. Instead, he smashed headlong into it, spraying fragments of wood all over the place. Link winced as a log bounced off his back.

There was a wall ahead. Link tugged at the reigns, which was difficult considering that he wasn't even in the saddle, and the boar slowed to a halt.

Link shakily dismounted and gave the boar a little pat on the shoulder. He quickly climbed up a ledge and headed down the trail.

Well, how fun. More goblins.

There were several broken walls-the ruins of part of the prison. And they formed something of a maze around Arbiters Grounds. But the problem was that we couldn't seem to find the front door. And the whole place was swarming with goblins. Luckily Link's archery was pretty accurate, so he took out most of the guards before they spotted him.

There seemed to be a direct pathway that led right to the entrance to Arbiters grounds, but it too was blocked by wooden barriers. Too bad we couldn't get that boar over the ledge we'd crossed earlier. We'd need one to break through the barriers.

As we wound our way deeper into the ruins, we found a campfire with a whole boar roasting over the flames. There was a goblin sitting by the fire. Link shot it, and found that it had been holding a key. He took the key and unlocked a gate that had been barring the way. He stepped through, and suddenly the gate swung shut behind him.

Link automatically pulled out his sword, braced for a fight. We were locked in.

But there was nothing here except a boar.

Link walked over to it, ready to use it to smash down the fence, but before he could climb into the saddle, we heard footsteps. Something stepped out of the shadows. A horribly familiar something wielding an enormous ax. King Bulblin.

He bellowed and swung his ax, using the flat of the blade to smash the bullbo to the ground, and on the backswing, he smacked Link backwards.

Link cried out and slid backwards on the sand. Wincing, he jumped to his feet and wielded his sword.

The fight was on. The huge, heavy ax slowed King Bulblin down, giving Link time to dodge around and strike from behind. He rolled out of the way as the ax came down at him and brought his sword up, slashing his opponent's shoulder. King Bulblin used the handle of the ax to bash Link on the head. Link reeled backwards and barely blocked another strike with his shield. The force of the impact ground into Link's arm, making him shout in pain. But he swung the Master Sword around and smashed it into the side of King Bulbin's head, knocking him over. The ax clattered to the ground and King Bulblin let out a low groan.

Link staggered away from the monster, massaging his hurt shoulder. But then King Bulblin was standing again. His arm hung at an odd angle and he too was obviously in pain. He turned and glared at Link, and then limped away to the door.

Link chased after him as the gate opened, but it slammed shut once again before Link could escape. So, we were still trapped.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked. His shoulder looked like it hurt.

"I'll be fine, I think. I've had worse."

"Hey, didn't you catch a fairy in a jar a little while ago?" As we passed through Hyrule, occasionally we'd come across a little red fairy. Link knew that if you caught one in a bottle, it would heal your wounds when you released. And Luckily Link had kept one.

Link pulled out the bottle and uncorked it. The fairy fluttered out, circling around Link and landing on his injured shoulder. After a moment, it flew away, leaving Link in perfect health.

But not for long.

Suddenly flames began to blossom along the wooden fences that surrounded us. They were trying to burn us out!

The flames spread quickly across the dry wood, threatening to engulf us. But by some miracle, the boar that had been stunned by King Bulblin came to its senses and staggered to its feet.

Without thinking, Link leapt into its saddle and dug his heels in. The boar snorted and charged blindly forwards, oblivious to the flames. It smashed through layer after layer of blockades, and then skidded to a halt. We looked up to find ourselves in front of Arbiter's Grounds. We'd made it.

Link slid out of the saddle and stepped up the stairs towards the door. He took a deep breath and stepped inside.


	32. Arbiter's Grounds

Well, here's another dungeon. I know I don't include every detail of the dungeons, but they tend to be boring, occasionally frustrating, and would take a very LONG time to write out if I didn't skip over parts of it. So, I try to include the basics, at least. Ooh, I just realized that the recording I made of this dungeon really has only three things-entering the dungeon, getting the spinner, and fighting the boss. Hmm… I don't remember everything else that happens. Crud. I should have recorded more of this dungeon. Sorry! I'll add extra juicy details for the boss fight! Well, either way, watch out for giant mutant skeletons whose heads float around and shoot balls of fire at you.

PS, I'm glad they didn't make the redeads as horrible as they were on Ocarina of Time. Ugh!

Chapter 32: Arbiter's Grounds

Well, they sure did their best to make this prison like a maze. I wonder if some of the floors were covered in quick sand on purpose, or if they just sort of got buried in it over the years. Quick sand is sort of an odd addition to prison floors…

Link had to be very careful in some of these rooms, but luckily he had the hookshot to pull him across the bottomless sand pits.

Not to mention the fleets of little moving skeletons that would occasionally pop out and run at us with sharp little spears. And then the big zombie things that have giant axes. I think they're called redeads. Their screams make you freeze, and as you're unable to move, they raise their weapons and try to bring them down on your head. If I hadn't shoved Link out of the way, he'd only have half a head.

Oh, of course. Link had to use his wolf sense to follow the reeking smell of some nasty ghosts. Killing them was the key to opening the door to the inner part of Arbiter's Grounds. We had to kill them because they'd stolen the key. Well, not REALLY a key, but sort of like a key. They'd stolen the fire from the torches, and the door would only open when all the torches had been lit. I'm not exactly sure how that works. Some sort of magic, no doubt.

Hey, Link got another cool weapon! It's kinda like a spinning top, except it's big enough to stand on. So, what you do, is crouch on top of it and give the motor a push so that the notched edge spins around. The notches around the edge fit into slots along the wall. And the spinner latches onto the ruts and can roll along the side of the wall, high above the ground in some cases.

There was one drawback. The top also made the user spin in circles, slower than the rate the spinner edge was moving, but still fast enough to make Link dizzy if he rode the top for too long. Dizziness isn't a good thing to fight when you have skeletons attacking you. At least he didn't get motion sickness.

Finally we reached the last chamber of the prison. The last room before the mirror chamber. It was a large round room. Along the outside edge there was a walkway, but the entire center of the room was filled with sand. And in the middle of the sand pit was the fallen skeleton of some enormous monster. Only its back, arms, and horned head protruded from the sand.

Link took a step towards the monster and as he did so, I saw that the edge where walkway met sand, there was a track for the spinner to run on. It ran all the way around the walkway. I wasn't sure what it was for. All it would do was take you in endless circles along the surface of the sand.

Suddenly something made us freeze. It was a deep, foul chuckle. For one wild moment I thought that it was the skeleton that had laughed. But the source of the sound was instantly revealed to us.

Quite suddenly, Zant appeared, standing on top of the monstrous skull before us. Link automatically drew his sword. Zant ignored the action.

"You still live… How astonishing. No wonder some call you 'hero.' But this is truly a bittersweet reunion… Truly! For I fear this is the last time I will see you alive!"

Rage built in me. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and crush him, as he'd tried to do to me. But I was quickly distracted from thoughts of revenge. Zant had spread his arms wide, and then brought his hands together. Red magic mixed with transfigured twilight magic grew between his palms and then a massive black sword appeared in his hands. Red markings glowed through it, and he swung it over his head. And then he brought it down, driving the point into the skull he stood on, leaving the sword lodged in the bone.

The skull flashed red, and Zant turned and vanished.

I leapt into the air shouting, "Coward! Get back here and fight us like a man!"

But Link tapped my shoulder and pointed down at the skull. I followed his gaze and my jaw dropped.

The skeleton was lifeless. Who knows how many decades it had been resting in this place. But it was moving.

In its eye socket, a red light began to glow and slowly, invisible muscles moved the bones as though they were alive.

And then Stallord, the skeleton of the monster who had been dead for years, raised up straight and opened its mouth, roaring with a voice that no longer existed.

Its bottom half was still submerged in sand, so at least it could not get up and walk, but this did not mean that the thing was not dangerous. Link barely rolled out of the way in time to avoid a strange orange-black substance that spewed from its mouth like fire from a dragon.

"Link!" I shouted. "There!" I pointed to the spinner tracks along the edge of the walkway.

Link quickly kicked the spinner's motor and pushed it onto the track. We started to spin around the sand pit, staying just in front of the strange black fire Stallord continued to shoot at us. I grabbed onto his shoulder so I wouldn't get left behind by the rapid progress of the spinner.

"What do we do?" Link shouted.

"We have to do something about the sword Zant stuck in its forehead!"

"But how do we do that? Its head is way up there! I'm not quite that tall! And I can't float like you can!"

My eyes fell on the monster's spine. After years, bone turned to dust. This skeleton hadn't yet. But I was willing to bet anything that those cracks in the spine were a sign of weakness. And even though the head of the monster was too high to attack, the vertebrae below the ribs stuck out of the sand like some bizarre tree within easy reach. All we had to do was get over there without sinking into the sand or getting hit by black fire.

"Spin down there and hit its spine!" I called.

I dove into his shadow as he kicked off the wall and rode the spinner down into the center of the sand pit. We approached Stallord's back and Link gave the motor an extra kick Just as it hit the bottom vertebra. The notches along the spinner's edge ripped at the weakened bone and cracked the bottom vertebra right out of the spine.

Stallord roared in fury as he dropped several feet until the next vertebra up stuck into the ground.

"Next one!" I shouted as the Spinner rolled back up and connected onto the track again.

But things were about to get more complicated.

Stallord had just called up the skeletons of dead warriors, clad in armor and bearing rusted shields and swords. They rose out of the sand and stood guard around Stallord's weak spine.

The skeleton monster used its long bony arms to pull itself around and try to face us again. We barely spun out of the way of its fiery breath.

Link kicked off the wall again, steering between the dead warriors and knocking others out of the way with the cutting edge of the spinner. As the wall of protective warriors was temporarily broken, the spinner again smashed out two of Stallord's vertebra.

More warriors rose from the sand, and Link had to bring the spinner down several times to kill some of them. Only then was he free to strike the spine again.

And this time, the ribs stopped the monster from staying upright. It rolled helplessly onto its back and the light in its eye went out.

Link sat on the spinner as the sand slowly sank away beneath us, funneled out of the room by some unseen means. And then there was a massive pit where the sand had been. Only the skull of Stallord was left. The rest of the bone had crumbled away with the sand.

We were on solid ground again, stuck at the bottom of the pit. The skull lay beside us. Now it was easy to appreciate the size of the monster. It was at least three times as tall as Link was. But now it was motionless. All we had to do now was get out of here.

In the middle of the floor where we stood, there was a slot in the ground, just the right size and shape for the spinner to fit into. Link dropped the spinner into the hole and kicked the motor multiple times. Like a giant keyhole, the giant contraption built into the ground began to move. And then an enormous column rose out of the center of the pit, charged by the spinner. And though we were now back at the same height as the walkway around us, we were still surrounded by a ring of the former pit. So, we were still unable to get off our odd little island.

But the inside of the pit had spinner tracks spiraling up around us. And the outside of the column also had the tracks running up it. We could ride the spinner back up to the other side.

But as Link and I were peering across to the walkway, a crackling sound made us turn.

Stallord's eyes had lit up again, and the skull was floating above us. The magic of Zant's sword was still working, and it wouldn't stop until we weakened that magic.

The floating skull lunged forwards and knocked Link off of the top of the column and down into the sunken ring surrounding the pillar. He landed with a grunt on his back.

Link didn't waste any time. The skull took off, flying away from us, around the ring. Link jumped onto the spinner and latched it onto the tracks, following the skull around the ring and slowly gaining height as the track took him higher.

We lost sight of Stallord's skull. It was fast enough to stay on the opposite side of the column as us.

And then we caught sight of it. It had been waiting for us. It opened its jaws wide and spat a blast of black fire at us.

Link reacted without thinking. He kicked off the wall, and the spinner shot through the air and hooked back onto the tracks across the ditch. Link dodged two more blasts, and by then we were close to the skull. For a fourth time, Link pushed off of the wall and smashed the spinner into the floating skull.

The skull crashed to the ground and Link landed beside it. He drove his word into the cracked bone around the forehead where Zant's sword was stuck, trying to slash the evil blade free.

But Stallord's skull pulled out of Link's grasp and shot away again.

And again we rode the spinner up along the column until we were close enough to the skull again.

But this time, along the spinner's tracks, strange spiked spinner-like objects were rolling back and forth. Link had to continuously jump the spinner across the gap to avoid these spinning spiky bumpers, losing a little altitude each time. It was longer this time before we were close enough to the skull. Link launched off the wall, smashing Stallord to the ground. And this time he drove the Master Sword in so forcefully that the spell on Zant's sword was broken. The skull let out a groaning roar and drifted into the air as the spell began to fail. The skull fell back to the ground, smashing against the floor and diminishing to dust. Then the sword exploded into twilight particles.

I sighed in relief and drifted up besides Link.

"All right, Link, let's go! We're close to the mirror of Twilight."

Link finally reached the top of the walkway again and made his way out of the door towards the mirror chamber. This was it. We were finally approaching the doorway to Zant. Finally things would come to an end.

Of course, that's exactly what I thought when we'd retrieved the last fused shadow.


	33. Broken Glass

Poor Midna! Her mirror is broken!

Chapter 33: Broken Glass

My excitement grew as Link stepped out of the door and to the pathway outside. We climbed the staircase, drawing nearer to the rooftop where the Mirror of Twilight was surely waiting for us. Of course, it wouldn't be sitting out where anyone could find it. There was sure to be a way of unlocking its whereabouts. Nothing else had been easy so far, so this might not be simple either.

We found ourselves on a circular rooftop with six tall columns around the edge. In the middle of the roof was a large statue with Spinner tracks leading up around it. But before we could reach the spinner path, barriers sprang up and we had to fight through more shadow beasts. At least we had a warp point up here now.

When we'd gotten rid of the monsters, Link rode the spinner to the top of the statue. There was a slot for the spinner to fit into, just as there had been in Stallord's room. So, Link hit the motor and let the spinner fall into the slot.

As the spinner turned the lock, the statue slowly sank into the ground. As it dropped, it pulled on several thick chains that were looped around a strange pully system. And as the statue sank, something else rose up from the floor. Two things, actually. One was a giant slab of stone bound in chains. And on the other side of the submerged statue, a small platform with a frame on it.

The stone slab remained suspended in the air by the chains wrapped around it. Link looked around, eying the strange stone before us.

But my attention was focused on the platform behind us. The frame on the platform undoubtedly held the Mirror of Twilight.

I leapt out of the shadows and sped towards the platform, bouncing up to hover by the frame.

I froze in horror. My jaw dropped and fury filled me.

Zant! How could he! I'm going to kill him!

The mirror was broken! The circular frame was empty except for a quarter of a circle of broken glass. The rest of the shattered mirror was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly I broke down. It wasn't fair! The pathway to the twilight was broken! We were lost!

I collapsed at the base of the mirror's frame, crying. Zant had destroyed it. Broken the mirror and stolen the remaining fragments. What would we do now? Zant was safe in Twilight and I was trapped here in a world I didn't belong in.

I sobbed in rage and sorrow. I would never be able to return to my home and my people!

Just then a humming sound reverberated around the rooftop. I quickly stifled my tears and sat up. Link had come up to stand by me while my face was buried in my arms.

Both of us looked up to find the source of the sound. On top of each of the pillars, except for one, strange glowing figures emerged. They looked somewhat human, but it was hard to tell since they were high above us. There were five of them.

One of them spoke. I couldn't tell which one. It was hard to tell.

"A dark entity lurks in the twilight… It houses an evil power."

Did they mean Zant? I finally found the one who had been speaking. Now that my eyes were adjusting to their strange brightness, I could see that they were NOT human. They had a smiliar shape, but there was something different about them.

"You who are guided by fate… You who possess the crest of the goddesses… Hear us."

The one on the next pillar over spoke next.

"At the command of the goddesses, we sages have guarded the Mirror of Twilight since ancient times."

They were guards? They were supposed to protect the mirror? Then why did they let Zant break it?!

The next sage spoke. I could see now that they were wearing some odd sort of masks and had odd garb on. Something was floating over each of their heads, like a strange round hat.

"You seek it… but the Mirror of Twilight has been fragmented by mighty magic."

They were taking turns in speaking, as though they each knew what the other had to say.

"That magic is a dark power that only he possesses."

"He" meaning Zant?

The next sage who spoke was facing away from us. "His name is…" he turned to face us, spreading his arms. "Ganondorf," he finished.

Ganondorf? Who on earth was that? Was he in league with Zant? Zant said that he had the power of a god. Did he maybe consider this Ganondorf person to be a god? But why would he think that? Because he had never seen anyone besides the Twili? Because of this power Ganondorf was supposed to have? Was HE the reason the mirror was broken?

"He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm."

But he wasn't one of those who used the Fused Shadows and were first banished to twilight. His name wasn't among those first dark magicians. So, others besides the Twili's ancestors had tried to take over the Sacred Realm? What had happened to him?

"He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness. But he was blind. In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was he exposed, subdued, and brought to justice.

The sages projected images of a large man with red hair and dark skin chained to the stone slab that Link had freed from the rooftop of Arbiter's grounds. Ganondorf. Six sages stood before him.

The sage standing in the middle lifted a glowing sword, and using magic, sent it towards Ganondorf. The blade buried itself in his stomach, and he hung limply from the chains.

"Yet… By some divine prank, he, too, had been blessed with the chosen power of the gods."

A Triforce mark suddenly began to glow on Ganondorf's hand. Previously lifeless fingers twitched, and then Ganondorf opened his eyes and raised his head.

The Triforce! What! That same power that Link and Zelda had? How had a man this evil gotten power from the gods? Had he stolen it somehow?

The sages looked startled at Ganondorf's movement. Ganondorf snapped the chains binding him and rushed forwards, crushing the sage who had thrown the sword. The other sages gasped as the mask of the fallen sage dropped to the ground.

Ganondorf grabbed the hilt of the glowing sword still embedded in his stomach and pulled it out, laughing madly.

Then the sages turned their gaze towards something behind them. A round silvery piece of glass engraved with strange symbols and held in a frame on top of a platform. The Mirror of Twilight.

At the sages' command, the mirror began to glow and projected its strange light onto the stone slab before it. Ganondorf was between mirror and stone, and the light of the mirror opened up a circular doorway in the stone. Ganondorf cried out, dropping the sword that spun backwards through the doorway. And though he tried to resist, the mirror dissolved him into twilight particles and blew him backwards through the doorway into twilight.

The light from the mirror faded and the doorway vanished. The five sages were left, moaning in sorrow for their fallen companion, of whom only the mask remained.

The projection faded and I looked up at the pillars where the mages were perched. Each column was topped with what looked like a winged circle. The column that had no sage on top had a broken circle.

The rest of the sages had their heads buried in arms at the memory of their lost partner.

One of them continued speaking.

"His abiding hatred and lust for power turned to purest malice."

"Perhaps that evil power has been passed on to Zant."

"You're just now figuring out where Zant got his power?" I snapped, hanging my head. "It's far too late!" They had sent Ganondorf to the twilight. To my world. A world of the peaceful Twili. They didn't care about us. They decided to dump an evil being amongst us. And he had found Zant, one of the few Twili who remained that still desired power. So, they had teamed up. If they had never sent that Ganondorf to my world, none of this would have ever happened!

But then I never would have met Link…

One of the sages spoke again.

"Only the true leader of the Twili can utterly destroy the Mirror of Twilight… so Zant could merely break it into pieces."

Because Zant was not the true leader. I was. But if the mirror was not truly broken, did that mean we could put it together and return to the Twilight? Was there still hope?

"Once broken by magic, the Mirror of Twilight became fragments, which even now lie hidden across the land of Hyrule."

That's just great. Zant would have done his best to make sure that no one would be able to recover the mirror fragments. This sounded like a search for the Fused Shadows all over again.

"One is in the snowy mountain heights."

"One is in an ancient grove."

"And one is in the heavens."

The heavens? How on earth could a mirror fragment be in the heavens?

I floated over to lean on Link's shoulder.

"You who have been sent by the goddesses… You should be able to gather the three pieces. But you must be prepared, for a dangerous power resides in those fragments."

Link and I nodded. We were ready. We'd been through so much, it would be foolish to stop now. We'd have to start a search all over again.

The sages faded away, leaving Link and I alone on the rooftop.

Well, here we go again.


	34. Even Heroes Need To Sleep

I finished this forever ago, but I just now remembered to put the link up. Again, fanfic is weird so I have to paste the link in a bunch of parts. They're making it really hard for me. Before I only needed to cut it in half. Grumble. I'm sure you can figure it out. So yeah. I finished the shirt a long time ago and attacked the link, as you may know. Now the pants are done. I still need to do something about my hands and feet though. And yeah, I know it looks really weird that I don't have a head.

http://dragonspen.

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Now for my random rambling. These are sort of leftover comments from the previous chapter. I much prefer the sages in Ocarina of Time to these. Their faces float in front of their heads… what's with that? Saria, Darunia, ex, were much cooler as sages.

And what's with Ganondorf?!?!?! How does that freak keep coming back in pretty much EVERY game?!?! Gah! I wanna kill him! But even if you do kill him, he keeps coming back! GAH!

Kay. Enough complaining. Sorry. Sorry I'm late too. I was away from the computer during my normal posting days.

Chapter 34: Even Heroes Need To Sleep

So, we went back to Telma's bar to see if her friends had any information to offer us. It was late at night by the time we arrived.

Telma greeted us as we entered.

"How's that Ilia doing, Honey? I'm sure that shaman will find a way to get her memory back. That Renado is a talented man, for sure!" I rolled my eyes. It was clear as clear that she fancied him. "Anyway, honey, you've got your own things to worry about, so you just make sure you do what needs doing right now, OK? Now, I'm not doubting you, honey, but if you're wondering what you ought to be doing, you ought to go talk to our friend Ashei. She's up on Hyrule's northern mountain checking things out, and she's got good instincts, trust me. If you need detailed directions, just take a peek at that map on the table."

A mountain, huh? Didn't the sages say that there was a mirror shard on a snowy mountain? Well, that's a start.

So, Link went over and looked at the map that Shad, Rusl, and Auru were sitting around.

"Ashei mentioned Snowpeak Mountain and headed off," Telma added.

But that was odd. The entrance to the mountain pass looked like it was in Zora's Domain. That's strange. Well, their city was at the base of a mountain, I guess. And snow melt might be what fed the lakes they lived in. And now that I thought about it, there was a passageway near the entrance to the Zora City that had been completely blocked with ice. Maybe that was the path up to the mountains.

Link walked past Telma as he headed for the door and let out a tremendous yawn.

Telma laughed. "Saving the world's been taking its toll on you, huh? Are you sure you've been getting enough rest, honey?"

No, he hadn't. Between hunting for the fused shadows, clearing twilight, and killing monsters, Link had barely taken a few naps. In fact, the last real sleep he'd gotten was in Kakariko after saving Collin from King Bulblin. We'd been so caught up in the quest that we'd been doing a lot of travel during the night. Since I spent most of my time in the shadows, I didn't use up too much energy the same way Link did. I just napped whenever he did. Link, However, had been doing a lot of work and humans needed their sleep.

"I'm fine," Link muttered, stifling another yawn.

Telma smiled and shook her head. She knew better.

"Link, you go in the back room and get some rest before you set out again. If you're staggering around from lack of sleep, you'll never get to see Ashei."

Link started to protest, but I reached out of the shadows and pinched him.

"Ouch!" he hissed. "Fine. I'll take a quick nap."

He shuffled sleepily into Telma's back room and collapsed on the couch. He was fast asleep within moments. I decided it was safer to stay hidden, so I snoozed in his shadow.

Luckily Link did more than nap. He slept soundly way into the morning.

I woke when I felt his shadow stir. He stood, stretching and yawning. He looked refreshed. And I felt so too.

We bid Telma farewell and headed to Zora's Domain.

And sure enough, we found that the tunnel that had been blocked by ice before had thawed. Link hiked in through the dark passageway.

It was cold. A frigid wind blew past us, making Link shiver. I shivered too, even though I was safe in the shadows. The passage suddenly opened up and we found ourselves facing a vast snowy landscape with a blizzard hissing by. We were at the top of a small cliff overlooking a frozen lake and a frosted mountain that faded away into the icy air. Snowpeak.

Standing at the top of the cliff, looking at the snowy world, was a figure wrapped in thick furs. Link approached her and she turned. Link jumped slightly, because she was wearing a hood with a mask designed to look like a sort of monster.

"Link," the figure said. She pulled off the masked hood. It was Ashei.

"What brings you to a dangerous place like this? Ever since Zora's Domain got covered in ice, this mountain's been much colder than usual, yeah? Not only that, but I heard a really weird story from the Zoras. Apparently, the beast that lives somewhere on this mountain has been seen frequently in Zora's Domain. I was curious, so I came and waited… and as they'd said, a giant appeared! Yeah, it looked like this."

Ashei pulled a piece of paper out of her furs and handed it to Link. It was a large furry white beast with a face similar to the mask Ashei wore to protect her face from the cold. He was holding a big red fish.

"Apparently, this thing's been stealing red fish from the village. I want to investigate further… but I can't even see the path through this blizzard, yeah? I'm sure you're here because you're curious about the mountain, but you'd best not go without a plan."

She had a point. Unless we knew where we were going, we'd probably get lost on that towering mountain, and Link might freeze to death. Well, he wouldn't be as cold if he stayed in wolf form, at least. Then he'd have a fur coat of his own.

So Link took us back through the tunnel.

There were two Zoras standing at the entrance to the tunnel. Link pulled out Ashei's sketch and showed it to one of them.

"Hey, the beast of Snowpeak," he exclaimed. "Oh! The red fish it's holding! That's a reekfish! Ah… So the beast has been showing itself because it's been catching reekfish. We didn't think that anyone besides Prince Ralis was capable of catching this type of fish!"

Well, it wasn't much to go on. Following the trail of a fish. But we had no other leads, so I warped Link to Kakariko where Ralis was recuperating.

We inquired around and were told that Ralis was in the graveyard.

We found him in the place where Queen Rutela had granted us the Zora armor. He was kneeling by the grave of his father.

He stood and turned as we approached.

His face brightened as he saw Link.

"Is… Is your name Link?" Link nodded. "My mother came to me in a dream… She showed me your image. She spoke of a youth who would save our domain and steer my fate. One named Link. I must thank you for all you've done. If there is anything I can ever do for you, please tell me. Please…"

"Actually, there is," Link said. "What can you tell me about this picture?" He presented Ralis with Ashei's picture.

"Hmm… The beast-man of the snowy mountain… perhaps," Ralis replied thoughtfully. "But more important is this red fish it is holding." Honestly, is a red fish really that important? "It must be a reekfish. That is a rare specimen found only in the Zora village. It feeds on a valuable type of coral, and without that bait, even our finest fishers cannot catch one. Look closely, Link… My earring is made of this coral. I would like to give it to you."

Ralis pulled off a hook-shaped pale punk earring and handed it to Link.

"I received it from my mother," Ralis sighed sadly. "But it is fine. I no longer need it. As I look at you, I get a sense of what my mother wanted, what I should be doing now. I will return to my village. The reekfish can be found near the Mother-and-Child Rocks in the waterfall basin near my village. The fish are red, so I think you should be able to spot them."

Link bid Ralis farewell and we again headed back to Zora's Domain.

Time for a little fishing.


	35. Trail of the Stinky Fish

Haha! The Yeti is cool! Sledding is fun, but annoying. And I never did understand why there was a mansion back in the mountains.

Chapter 35: Trail of the Stinky Fish

"You got it too easy," I muttered. "Heroes are supposed to work hard."

Link was leaning back against a rock at the edge of the lake in Zora's Domain. His fishing pole was propped next to him, the lure bobbing in the water near the two rocks Ralis had told us about. He looked completely relaxed.

Link opened one eye to smirk at me, and then shut it again, leaning his head back on his arms.

I smiled. I was taking a break too. I was sitting on the smaller of the two rocks in the water near Link's fishing lure, in my solid form for a change. I watched the fish drift around below me. They were no doubt the Reekfish. They looked like large red salmon. A few of them swished over to the hook-shaped earring that was dangling from Link's fishing line. One of them started nibbling at the coral hook.

"Heads up, Link. I think you got a taker," I said, pointing at the fish.

Link rested a hand on the pole, ready to grab it whenever the fish took the bait.

"Give the rod a twitch," I suggested. "Sometimes you need to move the bait for them to bite."

"No rush," Link sighed. "We've been working hard enough. It's nice to sit back and relax a bit."

"If you say so. But the longer you wait, the more powerful Zant and Ganondorf are getting."

At that moment, the reekfish took the bait. Link jumped to his feet and pulled at the rod, pulling the fish onto land. The red fish flopped back and forth, gasping for air.

I flew over, but froze in mid-air over the fish.

It STANK!

"Ugh! It REEKS!" I gasped.

Link covered his nose. "Why did we catch this stupid fish?" he choked. "No wonder they call it a reekfish!"

"Oh! The smell, Link! The monster had a fish! Maybe you can follow the smell and track the monster through that blizzard. If you have this scent, you should be able to follow the snow monster's trail through the mountains."

Link made a face. "I have to SMELL this thing?"

I held out the black spike of Zant's curse. "Here. Turn into a wolf."

Link reluctantly touched the spike and shifted to wolf form. I dropped onto his back in my usual place.

Link hesitated, scrunched up his nose and inhaled the stench of the reekfish. He coughed and nudged the fish back into the water with his nose. It swam away to the safety of the rocks, taking its smell with it.

He snorted a few times, trying to rid his sensitive nose of the worst of the smell. Then he raised his head and began following the scent trail.

He paddled across the lake and back through the mountain tunnel. This time, I was not in the shadows, so when we emerged at the base of the mountain, I got the full blast of the icy wind that chilled us. And unlike Link, I didn't have a fur coat to protect myself. I huddled into his fur and watched as he followed the reekfish scent across the frozen lake and into the snow. I had a sudden flash of a chilly rain lashing me as I hung limp over Link's back. I shivered, both from cold and memory.

White wolfos and ice keese drifted past us like ghosts. Higher up the mountain we climbed, scrambling up frosty ledges and trudging through snow. And we found another gossip stone. Link howled the song to the stone and went into a trance as he talked to his ghost friend.

We found a cave that got us out of the blizzard for a while. Link shook the coating of snow out of his fur and continued on. He turned into a human in order to open a door that was at the end of the cave. We found ourselves at the peak of the mountain. As we went back into the open, barriers sprang up and we had to defeat shadow beasts to get another portal. I'm sick of those stupid monsters! But at least they provide us with the portals.

Once the beasts were dispensed with, Link looked around. We were above the worst of the blizzard. On a ledge above us, there was a frozen tree. And besides the tree was a huge furry white form that stood upright like a man, but had a big bushy tail. He was wearing a saddle for a hat and was holding a huge limp red fish in one hand. A yeti.

Link cautiously climbed up to the yeti, not sure if the beast would attack or not.

The yeti turned and spotted Link.

"Uh! Whoa-ho! I heard ruckus, and uh! Just a human! I see humans not often, uh? Why human come to snows?" He seemed struck with an idea. "You… on spiritual journey? You look for true self?"

Link slowly shook his head. "Um, no. I'm actually looking for a fragment of mirror. It's a sort of triangle shape, dark glass with odd markings on it."

"Uh. You look for mirror in such faraway place. But you make good climb! And you lucky to meet me! I found shiny mirror piece. Same mirror you look for, uh? Uh! You come to house and see yourself! I caught fish. I make you hot meal, at least." He waved the big stinky fish for emphasis. I wasn't sure how good the stinky fish would taste, but we'd need to follow him to find out about the mirror fragment. "My house far away… We slide there, uh? Do like me! Come!"

He slammed his huge fist into the trunk of the tree besides him. A big frozen leaf fell to the ground, just like a sled. The Yeti placed one foot on it and pushed himself down the other side of the mountain. He shot away on his leaf sled, kicking up clouds of snow and waving his fish like a smelly banner.

Link watched him as he disappeared around a bend.

He turned to the tree and rolled into the trunk, kicking it with all his might. Another frozen leaf fell to the ground and Link stepped in it, standing in the cup-shaped leaf.

The leaf slid off the ledge and shot down the mountain.

But there was a problem. There was a crevasse! How were we supposed to cross that?

"Cliff!" I shouted. Link crouched low in the leaf, and as he neared the cliff ledge, he did some tricky footwork and we went soaring into the air, clearing the crevasse and landing safely on the other side.

On down the mountain we zoomed, turning through a narrow pathway and gliding across a frozen bridge.

Suddenly we were facing another cliff. Link shot off the top, speeding over the treetops, until his sled landed in the soft snow and continued on. The path wound along the edge of yet another cliff and shot across another crevasse. There were multiple instances where I was sure that we'd go careening into the blackness below. And once the edge of the sled skimmed the rim of the ravine, sending a wave of snow plunging into the deep dark. But finally we reached our destination.

I expected a Yeti to live in a cave. But this was the last thing I expected. A MANSION. In the middle of the frozen mountains? How did there come to be a mansion here? Surely it wasn't built by the Yeti. It must have been abandoned and he took it over.

I floated into the air.

"Here? What's with this guy? He's got a nice place for a beast-man."

Link nodded, looking just as confused as I felt. He climbed the stairs and entered the mansion.


	36. Snowpeak Ruins

Random abandoned mansion in the mountains.

Okay, I like Yeta, but when she turns into that monster, she's just freaky!

Chapter 36: Snowpeak Ruins

The inside of the mansion was in ruins. The floors were coated in ice and parts of the ceiling had caved in. The staircase had collapsed and hunks of ice were scattered around. But the carpets and suits of armor were still intact, as were the paintings on the walls. Who had owned this mansion? What a strange place. And where did the Yeti go?

Link walked across the entrance hall and through a door. We found ourselves in a cozy room with a fire blazing in the hearth. Sitting on a red couch was another creature like the Yeti, though smaller and wearing a diamond-pattern cloak of some sort.

She turned her head towards us at our approach. Her face peered out from under the hood of her cloak.

"Uh… Sorry… I have sickness, uh. Come closer, uh?" Link walked up to her obligingly. "You cute little human. Husband told me you come. You want to look at mirror, uh?" So, she was Yeto the Yeti's wife?

Yeta continued. "My husband found it, but it pretty thing, uh. But… since I get mirror, I get sick, and then bad monsters appear… So many bad things happen since mirror." That just proves the evil power of the Mirror of Twilight. Zant was just asking for trouble when he scattered those pieces around Hyrule. Not that he cared.

"So we lock bedroom on third floor where it hangs, uh?" Locking it in a room won't make the evil power go away. "Wait… I tell you where key is."

She motioned to a map of the mansion that lay on the table. Link brought it to her and she pointed out an area on the map.

"Fever makes head blurry, but… It probably here in the room marked by this symbol. But right now… can't even get up. Would you bring it to me, uh? Start with door right here." She motioned to the door behind her.

Link followed her advice and we ended up in a kitchen. The Yeti was cooking soup over a fire. He looked up as we approached.

"Uh! You!" As Link approached, Yeto continued talking. "Wife… look bad, uh? Not healthy since mirror. So I make soup for her. Fish from Zora village are most nutritious! You tired, uh? You have some. It give you energy!"

Link peered into the massive pot of soup and jumped as he found a face looking back at him. The head of the reekfish was sticking out of the broth. Well… it might just be me, but that soup looked like it needed a bit something else in it.

Link followed the map Yeta gave him to the supposed location of the key. When we got to the room, we were ambushed by weird ice creatures wielding javelins of ice. We had to duel with them until Link was able to get around and smash them up. Finally we reached the location on the map and found… a pumpkin?

"What's this?" I exclaimed. "This isn't right! She got the wrong location! Want to go back and try to get her to remember where the key is?" So we headed all the way back. But it wasn't that simple. She gave us another location, and we battled our way past more monsters to get to where she told us to go. One particularly evil creature attacked us with a giant spiked ball on a chain. It would have certainly been lethal if he'd hit Link with it. Luckily Link was quick enough to dodge around it and come in with his sword. And he took the ball and chain from the dead monster. A useful weapon, but one problem. It was REALLY HEAVY. When Link was carrying it, he could only stagger around under its weight. So, of course, he had me stash it inside my Fused Shadow mask.

And guess what. Yeta gave us the wrong location again. This time we found cheese where she told us the key would be.

So, for the last time we went back to ask Yeta where the key was. They were pretty nice for big snow monsters, but Yeta sure couldn't concentrate on anything when she was sick.

We brought the pumpkin and cheese to Yeto, who added it to his soup. I don't know. Pumpkin fish cheese soup sounds a bit odd to me, but Link was too polite to refuse. He took a bottle of soup to bring with him as he set out once more to find the key. Well, in this freezing cold mansion, maybe someone needs a hot drink, even it's in such a strange combination as what Yeto made.

And FINALLY we found the key.

Once we got hold of it, Yeta met us outside the bedroom where the mirror shard was locked. She said she'd had some of the soup and felt better, so she led us into the bedroom once Link unlocked the door.

"Thank you. You come inside. Please… This way, uh." She walked over to the wall where the mirror shard was hanging. At last! We'd found the first piece!

We saw Yeta reflected in the mirror as she stood in front of it, gazing into its strange etched surface.

"Here… mirror. You look at it, uh. Uh… So pretty. Pretty… Uh… So pretty…"

Something was wrong. Yeta started twitching and a strange shadow fell over her.

"Pretty… Pretty…mirror… Lovely." She started groaning, and suddenly she wheeled around and we were no longer facing Yeta's sweet face, but the face of a monster! The mirror had turned her into a monster!

"NOT TAKE MIRROR!" she screeched.

Suddenly all the windows shattered and ice shards came pouring in through the cracked glass. The ice swirled around the monster Yeta and lifted her into the air, forming a massive ice barrier around her. The ice mass landed on the frozen floor and started sliding at Link. I quickly handed Link the ball and chain and he swung it over his head into the ice block, cracking it. He rolled to the side out of the way of the sliding ice monster and smashed the chain mace into it again, further cracking the ice shield around the ice monster.

Over and over again he bashed the ice until it finally shattered and Yeta fell to the ground. Was that it? Had we won?

But no! She let out a screeching cry and suddenly a ring of huge pointed ice cones formed around her and she enveloped herself in more ice armor. She floated into the air above us, surrounded by the ice cones.

All of a sudden, the ice blocks began falling. Link started running, but his feet slipped on the icy ground and he had to drop and roll to keep from getting smashed. He quickly wheeled around and used the chain mace to bash a few blocks out of the way. Then the massive ice shield containing monster-Yeta dropped.

Link slid quickly out of the way. I couldn't help thinking that ice skates might be useful in this situation, but I decided not to mention that to Link while he was fighting such a monster.

With another bash of the mace, he cracked Yeta's shield, but if floated up into the air again and started trying to flatten us again. One of the blocks struck him and he went sliding across the floor until he bumped into the wall. The blocks surrounded him, ready to crush him as he was cornered, but Link kicked himself away from the wall and slid away on his back just before the ice spears impaled him. As Yeta's ice block dropped too, Link, still sliding along the floor, twisted around and sent the chain mace skittering across the floor where it shattered Yeta's shield. The monster slammed back against the wall and shrieked in fury. She fell to the floor and the ice dissolved, leaving the room in its previous state.

Yeta, back to herself, was on the floor, stunned.

And there was the mirror shard.

I emerged, sighing in rfelief. "Well, we have two mirror shards now." Two including the one left in the mirror frame. I took the second shard. "Two more left, Link. Still… I feel bad about the way we treated that girl." It wasn't her fault she attacked us. It was the magic of the mirror. She had been nice to bring us to the mirror and offer it to us. Even if she did make us wander all over looking for the key.

"To think the Mirror of Twilight has the power to change people like that." It was disturbing. What else would we encounter that was brought about by this dark magic? "This world… ALL worlds… can be cruel." I stowed the mirror shard inside my mask. "Let's hurry up and collect the rest of those pieces, Link! We have to before more innocent creatures have to endure the suffering this poor girl did." What else would we have to face before it was all over?

I opened a portal. "Well, let's go search for the two that remain."

Just then the door opened and Yeto stomped in. He saw Yeta lying on the ground and let out a mighty roar. He charged forwards, knocking Link to the side, and leaned over Yeta.

"Uh…" Yeta groaned. "Uh… What… What wrong with me?"

Yeto helped her sit up. It was funny how much bigger than her he was.

"Very strange… You just dreaming, uh," he said in his booming voice.

"Yeto!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Mirror you gave…" she turned towards the empty spot on the wall where the mirror shard hung.

Yeto shook his head. "Forget mirror, Yeta. No. Look into eyes of Yeto. Look in reflection of Yeto's eyes. There true beauty!"

I felt like we were intruding on something. They didn't even notice Link and I sitting by my portal.

Yeto lifted Yeta in his arms. "Who need mirror?"

"My love, uh!"

They hugged each other.

"Ah, Yeti love," I sighed, giggling to myself. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Link stepped into the portal and we left the mansion in the mountains.


	37. Back to the Woods

Mmm. I'd like to try some Lonlon milk. I thought I'd add it to this chapter as a nice little reminder of Malon and co.

So, sometime soon, I'm going to go back and try to add to some of my previous chapters. Especially the first two. Hopefully I"ll be able to get around to it soon. Who knows. Sigh. Stupid school. And a test coming up and everything. Grumble.

Chapter 37:

Since we warped to Hyrule Castle Town, the snow that had gathered on link's head and shirt during the battle with monster Yeta didn't get a chance to melt. He didn't even notice the frosty powder covering him, but everyone turned to stare as he passed through the town.

The mailman stopped us to hand us a letter from Yeta. She said she was sorry she couldn't help us much and that she felt better now. She also invited us to come and visit again. Heehee!

As Link walked into Telma's bar, she eyed the snow coating him.

"Have a nice trip to the mountains?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," Link replied. "I got what I needed." He gave a little shiver from the leftover chill.

"You look cold," Telma commented. "Did you even notice that you're covered in snow?"

Link looked down at his shirt and grumbled in annoyance. He started to knock the snow off of his hair and clothes.

"Sit by the fire and warm up," Telma offered. "I'll bring you a drink. Then you can go meet Rusl. He's in Hyrule's southern wood right now, checking out the lay of the land. He mentioned a sacred grove."

Link sat by the fire, shaking the rest of the frost off him. As he warmed up, Telma walked over and handed him a mug.

Link started to take a sip, but stopped, looking startled. "It's MILK."

"That's right. And the highest quality milk in Hyrule," Telma said. ""Provided by a very old ranch just beyond Lake Hylia. Guaranteed to warm you to the bones, and it's a smooth as silk."

"Huh. I just thought that a bar would serve…"

"You're a hero, Link," Telma interrupted. "Heroes can't get their heads muddled with alcohol."

"Oh, I know," Link assured her quickly. "I just…" He shut himself up and took a sip of the milk.

"Oh, it really IS good."

"I thought you'd like it," Telma said, smiling. "Have all you want. It's on the house. It's the least I can do for ya since you're traveling all over Hyrule to fight this darkness."

Thanks to me, he didn't have to travel too long. We could just warp most places. Poor Epona wasn't getting much exerciset. But Renado promised to look after her until we needed her again. My warping can only take us so many places.

Link finished his mug of milk and then handed Telma an empty bottle to fill up with more milk.

When we were outside, he sat down on a bench.

"Hey, Midna, come and try this. I brought you a bottle of Telma's milk."

I emerged, grinning, and sat beside him.

"For me? You shouldn't have! I'm flattered."

Link rolled his eyes and held the bottle out to me.

I accepted it and took a sip.

"Ah. Nothing like milk to rejuvenate a hero, huh? Heehee! It is pretty good though, isn't it?"

"Yep."

I finished the bottle and handed it back to Link. "Now you can put another fairy in that bottle. You never know when you'll need one."

"Yeah," Link sighed, hooking the bottle onto his belt. "Well, now we should go try to find Rusl. He's in Faron Woods, huh? Well, we've been there quite a bit so far."

"One trip to Faron, coming up!"

I turned Link into a wolf and we warped to the woods.

And what do you know. Rusl was standing at the place where we had gotten into Skull Kid's forest. So, we had to go through there again. Would Skull Kid give us another grand tour? I hoped not.

Rusl greeted Link without even turning around. "It has been a while since we took a walk in the forest, huh? Yes, and how our world has changed."

For a moment the two of them gazed out into the woods.

"Say…" Rusl continued, "Do you know about the far side of this deep gorge? Some say there is an ancient temple deep in the woods that guards a sacred power. The ancestors of the Hylians created the temple… Signs of their civilization—ancient, but very sophisticated—are everywhere." So that's why there were those ruins deep in the woods. They must have been the ones that left the Master Sword there.

"If someone could obtain the power of those ancient people… Well, I am sure it would go a long was toward saving Hyrule."

That sounded like another cool weapon! I wonder what it'll be this time?

"Link… Would you take on this task? Would you cross the gorge and find the ancient power sleeping in the temple?"

"Of course!" Link assured him.

"I knew you would! To cross the gorge, just use my partner here."

Rusl whistled out the tune used to call birds.

There was a rustle of feathers and something gold hovered towards us. I stared.

Link did a perfect job of summing up my thoughts.

"It's… a chicken. A cucco."

"…Do you doubt my partner's skills? He flies like a dream! Believe me! Well, you will definitely make it across the gorge. Wait and see, my doubting friend."

Well, if it could carry Rusl, it could surely carry Link. So, Link lifted the cucco and jumped off the ledge. The cucco's beating wings let Link float down the route he had taken as a wolf.

The moment we stepped into the shady woods, Skull Kid leapt out of a tree and landed in front of us. He gave a blast on his leafy trumpet and we immediately found ourselves surrounded by his puppet monsters.

Well, great.

So, we had to fight our way all through the Lost woods again, once more ending in a spectacular archery showdown with Skull Kid deep in the forest.

Once Link defeated his little friend, Skull Kid gave one final little giggle and vanished. His voice echoed through the leaves.

"Hee hee hee… That was fun! I'll tell you what: I'll let you into a secret place!"

Finally! He leads us through this crazy forest twice. Grumble.

So, Link walked in through the doorway Skull Kid opened.

This was the same area where we had gone through that strange puzzle. But we were standing in an area overlooking that clearing. In front of us was a doorway standing by itself. No doubt remnants of the ruins Rusl had mentioned. But there was a statue blocking the entrance. Not that there would be anything through those doors. There was very clearly nothing on the other side. Or so I thought.

I emerged from Link's shadow.

"The sacred, ancient forest… So this was what they were talking about."

Link climbed down, not sure where to look. We'd been here before and hadn't seen any temple.

Link walked to the place where he'd drawn the Master Sword from its pedestal, hoping to find a clue there.

I'm not sure what made him do it, but he took his sword and slid it back into its original resting place. There was a thrumming sound as the statue that blocked the empty doorway vanished. So… it was gone. Now what? Was there really more to that doorway than meets the eye?

He drew his sword again and sheathed it.

Shadow beasts ambushed us as we headed back to the doorway. Link killed them and we got another portal. At least now we can warp here whenever we need to. No need to go through Skull Kid's obstacle course any more.

We returned to the doorway to make sure it really was what it seemed. It looked normal enough: a door standing alone, remnants of some long crumbled building. It SHOULD have opened onto thin air.

But as Link pushed the door open and stepped through, we did not end up back in the forest. Instead we were standing inside of a vast temple.


	38. The Temple of Time

Sorry I'm late. The stupid fanfic wouldn't let me log in for the past 3 days. I don't know why.

Temple of Time! How on earth did it end up in the Lost Woods? Maybe the forest grew up around it or something… But then how did it get so far away from the castle? Why can't the geography of the different games line up? Wah! But if the state of the temple is anything to go by, then it's been a very long time since the Hero of Time has been here.

Chapter 38: The Temple of Time

Where had this temple come from? What sort of magic allowed a bare doorway to lead to an enormous temple like this? The Temple of Time.

We walked through the first chamber and past two statues exactly like the ones guarding the Master Sword. And then we found ourselves in a huge round room with light pouring in through stain-glass windows. Near the back of this room was a pedestal just like the one the Master Sword was pulled from. In fact, it was in exactly the same place as where we had found the sword. And come to think of it, those two statues were in the exact same place as the ones in the ruin. It was as if we had stepped back in time to when the ruins in the forest were still in their original pristine shape.

Link took the sword, and for the second time, plunged it into the pedestal. Suddenly a staircase appeared before him, leading up to the window at the back of the chamber.

Link drew his sword again and sheathed it.

Suddenly, something scrambled past us, up the stairs. At first I though it was a cucco. But it wasn't. It was Ooccoo. And fluttering along beside her was what looked like a floating Ooccoo head. Erm… If you say so.

As they reached the top of the stairs, the window vanished, revealing a passageway. And as the two strange creatures passed through it, the window reappeared.

"What just happened?" Link said blankly.

"Well, it looks like a couple chicken creatures just went into the temple. Let's go!"

Link shrugged and climbed the staircase. The window vanished, allowing him to pass through and enter the inner temple.

And what a temple it was! It was fantastic.

As we walked into the entrance chamber, we found what looked like a giant bell sitting on the floor. I had not idea what it was for, but we passed it to try to get to the next room. But the door was shut.

Link walked up to the door, wondering if there was a way to open it.

And then I noticed something. There was a statue to one side of the door. And on the other side of the door, there was a pedestal for another statue, but there was no statue there. Now, we'd had to place the two statues flanking the door when we were trying to get to the Master Sword. Maybe we'd have to find the other statue and bring it back here in order to open the door further into the temple.

But that statue was big. Bigger than Link. Even if we managed to find its pair somewhere in the temple, how would we get it back here?

I emerged to tell Link what I'd discovered.

"Link, Don't you think there's something odd about that statue? In the grove and in the temple entry, there were always matching ones on each side, but there's only one here. Why don't you use your senses to take a look around?"

I turned him into a wolf and we examined the empty statue pedestal. Sure enough, there was a hazy outline of a statue opposite the other statue.

"I knew it… There was one more here originally. We need to find the other statue in this temple that matches that one."

When he was human again, we headed around to another doorway, but just as we reached the staircase, we ran into Ooccoo and the little flying thing that was with her. Maybe it was a baby of… whatever Ooccoo was.

"Erm! Not so fast!" Ooccoo barked as we started up the stairs.

Link stared at Ooccoo, waiting to hear what she'd say this time. She'd followed him through every single dungeon so far, offering help. But she hadn't done much yet except follow us around, hiding whenever we got into a battle. Not too helpful if you ask me.

"At last… This is it! This is where I've been trying to get to! The ancient technology of our people sleeps in this place. We've searched all over… and now we're so close, I can SMELL it! Once we find that thing, we can go home at last! Oh, gracious, yes! Erm, young man! We're so close… so PLEASE help us find what we're looking for!"

"Sure," Link agreed, scratching his head. "Why not?"

As he set off up the stairs, Ooccoo and her son (yes, that flying Ooccoo head thing was her son) followed us.

We slowly made our way thought the Temple of Time. It was an impressive structure, which, unfortunately was full of monsters and puzzles. Just like all the other dungeons, huh? And I couldn't help noticing that pretty much every room we entered had one or two of those big bell-like things.

And finally we entered the room with the statue! But as Link headed towards it, we found ourselves face-to-face with a knight dressed in black armor and wielding a huge sword and a shield.

And the battle was on.

The knight had an advantage. He was covered in armor. But that didn't stop Link. He dove into the fight, slashing in with his sword to cut pieces of armor loose. He rolled out of the way of the knight's swings. He was pretty slow with all that armor on, but as Link knocked the heavy metal plates off his body, the knight gained speed.

Soon, the heavy armor was scattered across the floor. The knight suddenly hurled his sword at Link. Link dove to the side just in time to avoid having his head sliced off. The knight dropped his shield and drew another sword. A smaller one that would be easier to wield.

And now it was proved just how fast he was. And the battle suddenly became much more intense. Link blocked blows with his shield and swords clashed.

And finally, using a move that would have made his ghost teacher proud, Link leapt into the air and slashed his sword down over the knight's head.

The knight collapsed to the ground, defeated.

Link stood there for a minute, panting and exhausted.

"Nice work!" I said, popping out of his shadow. "Now, how do we get that statue down to the main room? Well, there's a treasure chest over there. You might as well check it out. Maybe there will be something useful."

Link nodded and headed towards the chest. He kicked it open and reached in to pull out a metal rod.

Ooccoo, who had dove into a corner with her son when the battle started, peeked out and stared at the rod. Was this what she was looking for?

"How does this thing work?" Link asked.

Suddenly a ball of light began to glow at the tip of the wand.

"Whoa! I wonder what that's for."

Link swung the rod, and the ball of light shot out of it and headed straight for the statue we'd been searching for. The light settled inside a little hollow in the statue's chest, and the statue began to glow.

Link blinked in surprise and took a few steps back. The statue followed him, hopping forwards as Link moved.

"Link, you're controlling that statue!" I cried. "It moves when you do! It will follow you back to the entrance!"

But there was a problem. The statue didn't fit through the doorway. It was too big.

"Lead it to one of the bells," Ooccoo suggested.

Link shrugged and led the statue to one of the big bells that was hanging above the floor. As the statue hopped under the bell, the bell lowered, enclosing the statue inside.

"Now," Ooccoo cried, fluttering her wings. "Go to the next room. The bells will transport the statue from room to room."

As we entered the next room, we found that she was right. The bell there lifted, revealing our statue. In this way, we took it all the way back to the first room and set it in its slot. And lo and behold, the door opened. At last.

And we were free to move forwards to where the next mirror shard was.

We found ourselves in a huge dark room. Holes in the ceiling allowed light to pour through, casting parts of the chamber into light. We saw that the walls were lined with huge statues much bigger than the one we'd led around the temple.

Link stepped into a patch of light and gazed around at the statues. Where was the mirror shard?

Suddenly the light around him vanished. Something was blocking the hole in the ceiling.

Link looked up, and to his horror found a tremendous spider sitting on the ceiling! It was at least three times as long as he was tall, and there was a giant eye on the top of its head.

Link quickly pulled out his bow, but the monstrous eye had shut and the spider started scuttling along the ceiling.

Link drew his bow, ready to shoot. And when the spider opened its eye again, Link shot his arrow with deadly accuracy. It embedded itself in the eye and the spider dropped to the ground.

"Use the rod!" I shouted.

Link swung the rod, taking control of one of the huge statues. He swung the rod, causing the statue to slam its fist down onto the spider's soft underbelly.

The spider shrieked and scuttled free, scrambling back to the ceiling. Again, Link shot its eye and the spider fell. And Link took control of another statue, making it slam its fist into the beasts stomach.

The spider screeched in pain and curled up, diminishing into dust.

But its eye was still there.

Link let out a sound of disgust as a hoard of smaller spiders (As big as a cat, but small compared to the thing we'd just fought) scuttled out and surrounded the eye. But it wasn't just an eye. The eye was the abdomen of another spider! Ugh!

Link quickly sent several arrows into the eye spider and at last it fell for good. And its remains revealed the next mirror fragment. At last.

Relieved, I emerged to take the mirror shard.

"Three of the mirror shards are ours! Just one left! Link… you saw how nasty that monster was, right? The evil within the shards is more powerful than you can imagine. You know, we could be assembling something truly terrible here." The thought of what might happen when we healed the mirror frightened me. If one shard was enough to attract a horrible monster like that spider, what could the whole mirror do? "It could be something that we'll ultimately have to destroy." And I was the only one able to do it. Only the true leader of the Twili could destroy that thing, before it could be used for any more evil. That was me. I would have to do it even if it meant that I'd never be able to return to this world. I'd never be able to see Link or Zelda again… But I'd think about that later. We still needed to get to my realm and defeat Zant before we could think about destroying the mirror.

I opened a portal.

We have to hurry! Let's find the last shard, Link! We have to reach the sky! That's where the last shard is supposed to be!" But how would we get there? How were we supposed to reach the sky? I hoped we'd find out soon.

Link stepped into the portal and Ooccoo and her son followed. I warped us all back to the entrance of the temple.


	39. Rusty Rod

FINALLY we get around to Ilia's memory. Poor kid. It would be really freaky to lose your memory…

So, there's a guy that keeps leaving comments that doesn't seem to have an account, so I can't reply to them. And I like to reply to comments (as long as there's something to reply to). To cmkovalenko: I like the comments you're giving me. It's good to get useful suggestions like that. I have been planning to go back and fix some of my earlier chapters and I'll definitely do that whenever I can! So, stay tuned because my first chapters were pretty much just dumping the game onto paper, but now I'm starting to enjoy doing my own stuff to some of the chapters. So, yeah. Eventually I will go back. But probably not until I finish the first draft of the story.

Chapter 39: Rusty Rod

This time when we landed, Ooccoo didn't run off immediately like she'd been doing before. As we materialized in front of the Master Sword pedestal inside the temple, Ooccoo and Ooccoo Jr. flapped after us.

We stepped out of the magic doorway and she shuffled in front of us, blocking our pathway.

"Well done, adventurer! Ooccoo sees what she was looking for. Goodness, yes! It's the Dominion Rod you found in the temple!"

I thought so! The look she gave that thing proved that she'd seen it before. But what would she want with it? I mean, she didn't even have hands. How could she use it?

"But that thing has been around for quite some time," Ooccoo continued. "I can see from here that its magic has been exhausted."

WHAT? Its magic was exhausted? How did that happen?

I looked at the rod hanging from Link's belt. Instead of the shiny silvery metal it had been only minutes before, the rod was now a dull rusty color and the sphere of light was no longer glowing at its tip.

Link took the rod in his hands and saw how dull it now looked. He blinked in surprise and disappointment.

After all we'd been through to get it, its magic doesn't work anymore? Was it because we'd used it too much? Or was it because we'd taken it from the temple?

"Ooh, what am I to… I thought at last I could return to the sky," Ooccoo groaned.

The SKY! She knew how to get to the sky?

Link opened his mouth to ask her, but she cut him off.

"And I have completely forgotten the spell that would once again bestow it with magic."

She knew a spell to return magic to the dominion rod? Again, Link opened his mouth to ask her, but she continued to talk, oblivious.

"It can't be helped. I suppose I'll just have to look for the statues that respond to the rod."

There were more statues that the rod could control? For the third time, Link tried to ask her what she meant, but she didn't notice.

"It's decided! That's what we'll do! That's what we'll do, indeed! Well, Ooccoo is on her way! See you again!"

She and her son turned and scuttled away.

I leapt out of Link's shadow to stop her, but they had already jumped over the ruin wall and vanished into the forest.

"Hey! Wait!" I shouted after them. "What did you do to the Dominion Rod? …She's gone. I suppose a useless rod is really just more baggage, but…what are you going to do?" I floated back to Link. "Hmm… Did she just say something about returning to the sky? The last piece of the mirror is also said to be in the heavens. If we can restore magic tot eh Dominion Rod, maybe it'll come in handy!" I smirked. "You know, she keeps showing up and not doing anything useful. The one time we actually need her help, she isn't around."

Link nodded blankly.

"Well, it's not much of a lead. But it's not as weird as following the trail of the reekfish. Let's see if we can find a way to bring power back to the Dominion Rod. She said that had something to do with getting to the sky. Maybe your friends at Telma's bar know something."

"Yeah," Link sighed. "I guess. Maybe Shad will know something helpful."

We made our way back to the bar and Telma greeted us again by asking how Ilia was doing. Well, she was no better than she was when we last left her. Well, I mean she still had amnesia.

Telma continued. "You unsure about what you ought to be doing, honey? Well, why don't you go show your face in Kakariko village? Our friend Shad happens to be there right now, looking into this and that."

And before we left, Rusl mentioned to Link that Shad was researching the Oocca. Oocca? Wasn't Ooccoo an Oocca? One of those human-headed chickens? Well, that might be the missing link right there.

So, onto Kakariko again. I could tell that Link was eager to see Ilia, Epona, and the kids.

I warped him there and we found Epona by the spring. Link went over to her and stroked her neck. She nuzzled him.

"Happy to be taking a break, Epona?" he asked.

She tossed her mane, as if saying that she wanted to be more helpful. She hadn't done too much since helping get the kids to Kakariko. But that had definitely earned her a break.

Link met up with his skeleton friend in the Kakariko graveyard. He taught Link another sword technique-the Mortal Draw.

Link paid a visit to Malo, Talo, Beth, and Colin before finally going to Renado's house to see Renado and Ilia. To his surprise, two Gorons were there: Gor Coron, the one who Link had wrestled, and Darbus, the patriarch who had been turned into a monster.

"Ah! I have been waiting for you, Link," Renado exclaimed as we entered. "Fortune has smiled upon us! If things go well, we should be able to help Ilia recover her memory! Do you know Telma's friend, Shad? Well, it seems he is researching the heavens, and he has come here to see the statue in the basement of the sanctuary. And, as I have learned, when Ilia was saved, she overheard someone talking about the rod of the heavens, or something like that."

The Dominion Rod! Did Ilia know something about it?

"The Goron elder believes that to help her regain her lost memories, we must piece together the fragments of her past. Which means… If we work our way backward from the very place where she lost her memory, we may find something that will restore it. Now we must retrace Ilia's path… I am certain it was Telma who cared for her before she arrived in this village, was it not? It would be best to speak with her first. Please take this to Telma!"

Renado handed Link a letter and Link slid it into his pocket.

"It shames me to say it, but to be honest, I cannot abide Telma's company," Renado whispered, more to himself than Link. Then, more loudly, he continued, "We have a fighting chance, Link!"

Link turned to talk to Gor Coron. The two Gorons had been listening to the conversation.

"Whether we get that girl's memory back, young warrior," Gor Coron said, "will be up to you." He dropped his voice to a whisper so that Darbus couldn't hear him. "Even our chief, Darbus, has lost the memory of his dark time… We have not told him that you were the one who saved him. He is a proud Goron, and he can be… touchy. If he knew he had been saved by a human… On the other hand, he does have a strong sense of moral duty, so if anything happens, you can count on him to help."

Link stared blankly at Gor Coron. They hadn't told Darbus who saved him?

"If there is anything I can do to help, just say so!" Darbus boomed. "It is in times like these that we must come to one another's aid! Not that you could ever do much to help ME my tiny friend! Gah ha ha!" Yeah right. We'd saved his sorry hide. And no one even told him. That's gratitude for ya. Stupid.

Well, while we were here, Link climbed down to Renado's basement to visit Shad. We found him standing by the owl statue we had noticed while Link was hunting shadow bugs. Wow, that felt like so long ago. How long had it been since we'd cleared the twilight?

But that owl statue… Was that one of the statues that was supposed to respond to the Dominion Rod? Ooccoo had mentioned that there were other statues linked to the rod. Maybe this was one of them. But of course, the rod didn't work right now. And the hollow in this statue was blocked by a shield of stone fastened over it. I wonder why that was. So, unless that shield was removed, we probably wouldn't be able to control the statue anyway.

Shad looked up as we entered.

"Oh my… Color me surprised… If it isn't Link!"

Color me surprised? Who talks like that?

"What a coincidence, meeting you in a place like this. How very odd. Say, old boy, do you remember what I told you before about the legend of the sky beings known as the Oocca?" Link nodded. "Yes, well, there's something about it that's been bothering me, so I came here to snoop about. To think that you would appear here with such perfect timing!" Perfect timing? What for? And Telma had told us to come here. It's not like we accidentally bumped into each other.

"You really are a rather extraordinary fellow, aren't you? I've found it at long last… Observe this statue! It's the same as the on in the manuscripts me dear father left me. There are many similar statues around Hyrule, but this one seems to be different."

Come to think of it, he was right. I remembered seeing one near the woods and a couple around Hyrule Field. But they hadn't had the shields blocking the hollow in their chest-the hollow that the Dominion Rod used to take control of them. So, the others could be easily controlled, but this one could not.

"Here, look at the belly… There's something written there, you see? This, too, was in my father's notes… It is called Sky Writing, I believe. 'Awaken us with the word that breaks the seal.' …Yes, indeed, that is what it says. Wait a moment… Isn't that Ilia a friend of yours? It's simply tragic how she lost her memory. And that rod of the heavens she mentioned… I'm sure it has something to do with the word that breaks the seal. Hmm… Isn't there any way to restore her memory? I'm certain it would help us figure this all out."

I knew Link would like nothing better than that. And now her memory was involved in the quest. So, it was time to officially set off to find Ilia's Memories and restore power to the Dominion Rod.


	40. Lost Trail of Memories

So, I guess this hidden village is the remnants of the original Kakariko and the new Kakariko was built later.

Chapter 40: Lost Trail of Memories

Back to Telma's bar. This was starting to be the hub of our travels.

Link walked in and handed Telma Renado's letter.

"Oooh! Well, if it isn't from Renado,, the shaman!" she exclaimed as she began to read. "All this writing, and he doesn't even bother to mention a thing about little ol' me? Honey, that is what I call RUDE!" Telma was very helpful, but she sure was strange.

"Well, there's no accounting for the foolishness of a man. And at least I understand Ilia's situation now. Of course I can lend a hand for that adorable little girl! Hmmm, what else do I know…" She paused, deep in thought. "The first one to bring Ilia to this shop was that doctor." Why would the doctor bring Ilia to a bar? Because he was too lazy to take care of her so Telma offered to watch over her? He's not much of a doctor. He was the one that refused to treat Prince Ralis.

"Maybe he knows something, but he's a crusty old bat, that's for sure. Ahh… I've got it! Honey, you go ahead and take this to him. This magic little paper will get that codger talking!"

She reached down below the bar and pulled out a piece of paper. Link took it and glanced down at it. It was the amount of money the doctor owed. Quite a bit. Hmm. Interesting.

"It sure would be nice if she started remembering things soon, eh, Link?" Telma sighed.

Link took the bill and headed out of the bar. He made his way through the Castle town and to the doctor's office. A little puppy on the street followed Link down the road, wagging his tail. Link paused to pat him before going into the hospital.

It wasn't much of a hospital. It was hardly as big as Telma's bar. The doctor peered up through his massive glasses as Link shut the door behind him.

"Eh? What's that? Just as I wondered who it might be, I see it's the admirable young lad who was willing to help the Zora boy for nary a single Rupee." Maybe it wasn't for Rupees, but saving him was one of many keys to saving all of Hyrule. And the stupid jerk sure didn't help at all. Maybe he could offer a bit of advice now, though.

"Just what is it you want, lad? A physical? You've some money, don't you?" He cleared his throat and murmured, "by the way, that girl Ilia didn't mention anything about me, did she?" What? About how big a jerk he was?

As a reply, Link pulled out the doctor's bill and handed it to him.

"AIIGH!" he screeched. "L-look! I can't pay this off right now! I can see Telma's hired you as some sort of heavy to strong-arm me, but she'll just have to wait! Look, lad, if I'd been able to sell the wooden statue that young lady had, I would've been able to get the money. But see, I accidentally spilled medicine all over that little carving, which made it stink awfully. I put it outside to dry… but then…well, it was stolen. Who goes around stealing people's stuff like that? What a world! You always have to be on guard, eh?" What a freak! He stole the statue from a girl who lost her memory, and then complains when someone stole it from him! We should have fed him to that gigantic spider!

"… Uh, look, Mr. Heavy, at any rate, neither the money nor the carving is here, so I can't repay you. Now, to work, to work…" He shuffled back to his desk, not paying Link any more attention.

"Hey, Link," I whispered. "If the statue smells like medicine, maybe you can follow the scent trail as a wolf?"

Link nodded and let me turn him into a wolf. He padded softly to the back of the doctor's office. The doc didn't even notice him. For glasses that big, he sure wasn't very observant.

And sure enough, we found a strong scent of medicine in the very back of the building.

He scrunched up his wolfy nose in disgust but forced himself to smell it to get the scent. He followed it outside and back down the route he'd taken from Telma's bar.

Several people walking by screamed at the sight of the and fled.

But the little puppy from before bounced happily along after Link, jabbering on about how he didn't like cement because it hurt his paws. Well, he was kind of cute.

And the scent led right to Telma's bar.

And we found Telma's cat sitting in front of the bar. She stopped us as we passed by.

"You're looking for the wooden statue that Ilia had, aren't you, dear?"

Link nodded.

"Think it's a coincidence that I happen to know it got stolen from the doctor's place? No… Yes, I'll admit it… I took it. But then I was attacked by some sort of skeletal dog beasts who took it from me. I don't know why those beasts were after her statue… I thought it likely that she was in a dangerous spot, though." Just another example of monsters trying to slow our progress, no doubt.

"Those fiends lurk just outside the southern gate… Unfortunately, they only come out at night." At least it was starting to get late. We didn't have to wait too long.

"And another thing… They always move around as a pack. You won't get that statue back unless you give them all a thrashing. That statue sounds like a key to getting Ilia's memory back… You must get it back!"

Link turned back into a human and stopped at a few shops to replenish his supplies and kill time. And when the sun set beyond Hyrule Field, he set out of the south gate and down the entrance to the city.

When he stepped onto the grass, a scuffling sound and a cloud of dust caught his attention. Several creatures were clawing their way up out of the earth. They were monstrous skeletal dogs, and they had heard us approaching.

Link drew his sword and stood his ground as some of the skeletons started to charge him. And as they pounced, he swung his blade around and diminished them to powder. Link charged forwards as more beasts dug out of the ground. He slashed off skulls and legs, smashing his shield into spines. One jaw clamped shut over his arm and he quickly severed the neck.

And finally all that was left of the pack of skeleton dogs was a pile of bones.

And scattered among the bones was a wooden statue, about the length and width of Link's forearm. On the top was a symbol of the Sheikah eye. At least, that's what we were told.

We warped back to Kakariko Village, bearing our trophy.

Ilia was still in Renado's house. She was looking rather dejected. And who can blame her? She wasn't in the best of situations.

Link handed her the statue.

"What… is this?!" she gasped. She clapped her hands to her head, doing her best to dig back in her memory and unearth the knowledge this statue held for her.

"I… I remember something… I was confined somewhere… Yes, and I was saved by whoever was confined with me… And when that person set me free, they gave me this statue…" So, after she was kidnapped, she was held captive somewhere. Somewhere besides where the other kids were taken. And she lost her memory AFTER that. Maybe she hit her head as she was escaping that place. Who knows.

Renado, the two Gorons, and Link all listened intently to her tale.

"Yes, yes, I remember that much!" she exclaimed. "But that means… that person is still in trouble! Oh, what is WRONG with me?! I can't remember where that place was!"

Poor girl.

"I REMEMBER!" Gor Coron bellowed. "I thought I had seen that before somewhere. That belonged to the tribe that protected the Hylian royal family long ago." Apparently they were called the Sheikah. And that eye was their symbol.

"They worked in secret, so they lived in a lonely, forgotten place. But I heard that tribe dwindled in the prolonged wars. If you want to find that hidden village, look for a path leading to the Lanayru province on the far side of the Bridge of Eldin."

Well, it was a good thing that we'd fixed the bridge then. That was the fastest way to get where we were going.

"But… a rockslide blocked the way to the village long ago, so you can't get there anymore," Illia added.

"What? Oh, I do not mean to worry you, little human," Gor Coron continued. "Problems like these are not problems to the Gorons." He turned and gave a nod to Darbus. Darbus grunted in reply and marched off out the door.

"Our patriarch, Darbus, will be waiting for you up ahead," Gor Coron assured us. "Look at your map to see where. I would try to find the path beyond the Bridge of Eldin that leads to Lanayru Province."

He took Link's map and made a dot on it where we were supposed to meet Darbus.

Ilia watched us hopefully as we left.

We warped to the Great Bridge of Eldin and hiked down the path until we found a tunnel leading towards the Lanayru Province. Loud crunching sounds were echoing out of the depths of the cave. Link hiked down it and we found Darbus inside, slamming his powerful fists into a massive rock fall that had blocked the tunnel. Each time he smashed into it, more of the rock shipped away. And finally with a lout crash, the boulders rolled away and smashed to rubble.

Darbus turned triumphantly to Link. "There is a hidden village up ahead, little human. The elders call it a forgotten place. This scent that has been burning my nostrils… it is the scent of evil. There is one powerful creature I have seen about… but under that beast are many minions who attack and plunder like a pack of hyenas." I winced. That sounded like bulblins to me. As if we hadn't gotten enough of those already.

"There are 30… No… At most, 20 of them ahead. They are probably just a small band of survivors… Ragged remnants who have settled, leaderless, into this village. If that is all there are, little human, then you alone are more than enough for them. But you will have to defeat them ALL to save that girl's benefactor. Before you go, I will tell you the secret to besting them: destroy them all before they spot you! Got it, little human?"

Link nodded. Darbus rolled up into a boulder-like ball and rolled back out of the tunnel.

And Link strode ahead, emerging into a dusty, run-down old town that looked completely abandoned. And scattered throughout the balconies and paths were bulblins.

Lovely.

Link pulled out his trusty bow and took out the hawk eye. It acted as a pair of binoculars, letting Link see far off things. Now he'd be able to shoot the far away goblins with ease.

He drew the bow and picked off several of the bulblins that were sitting on a balcony. He slowly edged forwards, shooting every goblin he saw. He stepped into the abandoned buildings to arrow the beasts that were there.

But then one of them let out a screeching call.

Link's entry was no longer secret.

Instantly several bulblins ran up and started shooting their flaming arrows at Link. Link dove out of the way, quickly drawing the bow and shooting some of his enemies. One arrow singed his sleeve and he smacked it to put the flame out.

The screeches of the goblins echoed through the town along with the twanging of the bow and whiz of flying arrows.

And then all was silent.

Link stood at the opposite end of town, panting hard, his bow hanging limp at his side.

I bet those bubllins caught the kids and some of them got lazy and decided not to bring all the way to this village. So they dumped them in the twilight field to die. And then Renado found them. But some of them brought Ilia all the way here where someone rescued her. That person was still here somewhere. And they had helped Ilia escape. But I was sure that one of them hit Ilia over the head or something as she was fleeing. And that's how she lost her memory. And yet she still managed to make it to Hyrule.

Suddenly the creaking of a door cut the silence.


	41. Remember

So, I finally went back and fixed the first two chapters. Those were the two that were bugging me the most. I'll probably fix more of them later when I get a chance. So, you're welcome to tell me what you think of the new versions of chapters 1 + 2. Assuming you can remember how much you liked them before! I hope they're better.

Ilia finally gets her memory back. But I don't get it… The sight of her best friend, Link, isn't what jogs her memory. What DOES make her remember is that silly little whistle… And the scene where they're back at Ordon Spring with Epona is a bit too dramatic.

Yes, I know I got the sky book early. I forgot to do it in order when I played through the game, so we got it before we were looking for it. But now we don't have to return to the village. Even though it's fun to play with the hundreds of cats.

And now that Link "the messenger" has met Impaz, do we ever figure out if she gets out of that town? I think she just stays there.

Chapter 41: Remember

Link and I stared as the door opened. And we saw the last thing we expected. A tiny old woman stepped out of the house and into the dusty street. The lone survivor of this forgotten village.

She peered out over the deserted town.

"The howls of the beasts…" she muttered. "They've faded into silence."

Link walked up to her.

"Wait, are you… The savior! It's you, the savior!" she cried. Savior? Well, Link had killed the bulblins. Was that what she meant?

"Please, please forgive me… for not opening up the door. My name is Impaz. I'm the last resident of this poor village. My name comes from the great one who built this village so long ago. This village was once the secret home of a proud tribe who served the royal family. But it fell into decline, and became infested with dangerous beasts. It's become an awful place. Excuse me for asking, but is your name… Link?"

Link nodded.

"Ah! I knew it. So then, you saved that nice girl? …How lovely. When she was here, she would often cheer me up by saying that you would come to help."

So, she DID have her memory when she was here.

"That sweet girl… She worried about this old woman even as I helped her to escape from here. By royal order, I can't leave this place until a certain person arrives. …No matter what terrible fate is visited upon it. Oh, but listen to me blather on! I have a favor to ask: would you help me return this to her? I think she always kept it close to her heart, but even so, she didn't hesitate to part with it in order to protect me."

She fished something out of her pocket and handed it to Link. It was a necklace. And the charm was a whistle that looked exactly like the horse grass Link could use to call Epona.

"I believe in my heart that it's kept me safe all this time. So please… I ask that you return it to that girl."

Suddenly she caught sight of the rusty Dominion Rod hanging off of Link's belt.

"Hey! That rod… Is that the Dominion Rod? Ahh… Could it really be? Are you the messenger to the heavens?! Among the legends of my clan, there is a story from the time when the Oocca still maintained contact with the royal family. Yes, it said that a mysterious rod was handed down from the people of the sky, and it was called the Dominion Rod. The rod was only to be carried by the messenger to the heavens when the royal family needed to communicate with the Oocca. From generation to generation, my ancestors have guarded the book that, by royal decree, was to be given to the messenger to the heavens. This is that book. Please, take it."

She handed Link a very old brown book full of strange words. It seemed to be missing some letters.

"This book is written in the ancient language of Sky Writing. I am so glad I stayed in this village… If I had not met that young girl, what would have become of me? Meeting that girl must have been ordained by the gods, so that I could be here today to pass on this knowledge."

More about those weird Oocca. What was with them? And now we had another clue. This weird book. Maybe it could help us get to the sky?

And as we started to leave the village, Link found another gossip stone.

What a strange quest we'd gotten into.

Link was positively quivering with anticipation as I warped him back to Kakariko. Perhaps this horse whistle was a key in restoring Ilia's memory. I wasn't sure how a simple whistle would be able to help, but it may jog her memory. After all this time, she would soon remember.

Link stepped into Renado's house, fumbling in his pocket for the horse whistle. Renado and Gor Coron looked up as he entered, as did Ilia. Darbus had not returned after he'd unblocked the passage. Perhaps he'd gone back to the Goron city.

Ilia watched as Link approached her. He stopped and drew the whistle out of his pocket. Ilia shifted her gaze to it. For half a moment, nothing happened. Then she let out a little gasp. A gasp of recognition.

"I… I knew you once…" she whispered. She shut her eyes and I could almost see the memories rushing back to her.

"Yes… This feels so familiar… The scent of hay. Long ago… When we were young, you and I…You were always there… You were always beside me…" She looked up and smiled. "Link."

Link let out a cry of amazement. It had worked! She had remembered!

A sound made me turn. Malo, Talo, Colin, and Beth were all looking in the window at Link and Ilia.

I smiled to myself. Things were working out nicely. Link's friend was healed.

Gor Coron and Renado walked outside to give Link and Ilia a moment alone. Beth dragged Talo out of the window. And the four kids retreated.

"This gift was meant for you," Ilia said. "It was something I wanted to give you before you left on your journey. Please, Link, take it." She gave the horse call back to Link, who gratefully pocketed it.

"You don't need to worry about me any longer. Whenever you return… I'll be waiting for you."

Aw. Did I spy a hint of young love? Hmm. I sighed.

It was funny. That little whistle gave her her memories back. But when she met Link and heard his name, she didn't remember a thing. Why would a horse call hold the key to her mind and not her best friend?

There was silence for a moment. Then Ilia continued, "Link… Do you remember what I was saying about the rod of the heavens? Well, actually… It was about the messenger to the heavens who held the rod. The nice woman who saved me told me about it. Apparently, in this woman's village, they've guarded something for the heavenly messenger for generations, so they await him. But they can't give this item away until the messenger arrives with the rod. That's why the lady couldn't leave her village, you see. Say, Link… Do you have any idea who this messenger to the heavens might be? Or even what the rod is?"

"Yeah!" Link exclaimed. "I've talked to her about that. It's…. We've got it taken care of. She's gonna be okay."

Ilia sighed in relief. "That's great. Thanks, Link. For everything."

Link smiled and nodded. "That's what friends do."

He gave a little nod and then headed to Renado's basement to show Shad the sky book Impaz had given him.


	42. Owl Statues

On to the sky!

Chapter 42: Owl Statues

We found Shad where we'd left him: in the basement, still examining that owl statue. He was grumbling about how confusing everything was.

Link pulled out the sky book and handed it to Shad.

"What's this? Ah! It's sky writing!" He exclaimed. "Where in the blazes did you get this? You don't suppose this could be the word that breaks the seal… R-right! Let's try it out!"

He faced the owl statue and immediately began reciting a phrase in some strange language that I didn't recognize.

The owl statue didn't move a bit, and the shield over the front remained firmly in place.

Shad slumped in disappointment. "So it's not this statue… Urgh. …Link, thanks ever so. You have brought me one step closer to solving this puzzle. I shall give the book back to you."

Link accepted it.

"Now! I shall try out this word on other statues! I have made the rounds of these statues so many times that I have memorized their locations. I will place marks on your map so you can find them, in case you wish to track me down."

Shad took Link's map and added more symbols to the heavily marked parchment. We'd gotten a lot of these marks so far.

"Remember, every one of those marks is near an owl statue! Now, if you'll excuse me!"

Shad strode out of the basement to check on the statues across Hyrule.

The moment he had gone, a strange thrumming noise filled the air. The same sound the Dominion Rod made when Link had used it!

Link pulled out the rod and found it glowing with magic again! And its surface had returned to glossy silver. That sky word had not been meant for the statues! It had been meant for the rod! We could use it again!

I popped out of the shadows. "The writing in the book was a spell that imbued the staff with magic!" I exclaimed. "Now you can do to the other statues what you did before. So… He did say he would mark your map wherever there was a statue, didn't he? Then we should go check out those spots, right, Link?" Maybe the key to opening this statue in front of us was with the other statues.

Link looked down at his map. "A lot of these marks aren't near any warp points," Link commented. "We should ride Epona. She'd be happy to do something useful again. So, let's get top Kakariko and saddle Epona up!"

"Kakariko it is!"

Several minutes later, We arrived at the first statue. This one was right near Faron woods. Link swung the rod and moved the statue. Beneath the slot where the statue was, there was a glowing letter. Link knelt by the statue's previous resting spot and copied the letter into the sky book. But there were still missing letters. So, once we got all of the missing letters from the sky book, maybe then we could move the statue in Renado's basement!

We hopped back onto Epona and rode off again. This one was between Kakariko and Ordon.

On we went to the Great Bridge of Eldin, the lookout post near Hyrule Castle, and the Great Bridge of Hylila. For the last statue, we had to warp to the desert. And finally we had all of the letters. The sky word was complete.

We hadn't run into Shad at all, so we headed back to Renado's house, hoping that he'd returned to the basement. He had.

He told us that the word hadn't done a thing to the other statues. But Link and I already knew that. It didn't work on the statues. It worked on the rod. But NOW we had the final key to this last statue.

"Is this the book from last time?" he asked. "…Hm? Are there more letters in the word than the last time I looked at this?" He examined the book closely. "How did you investigate the… Link, this is amazing! Amazing!" He sure got excited over some strange things. He was positively trembling with excitement.

"Now THIS must be the word we need! Let's try it immediately!"

He faced the statue and recited the new word.

Instantly the shield covering the hollow in the center of the statue vanished. Now the Dominion Rod would be able to take control of it again.

"Ah!" Shad cried. "It has taken on the same shape as the other statues. What can this mean? And I thought we had solved the last of the riddles… Blast! How confounding! …I must apologize, Link. I need to cool off a tad before I mull the problem further."

He shuffled further into the basement, massaging his head and looking dejected.

Luckily WE knew what to do.

Once Shad was out of sight, Link pulled out his rod. He swung it and the sphere of light settled in the chest of the owl statue. Link stepped away from the wall and the statue followed him. Link released his hold on the statue and stepped around behind it.

The statue had been blocking a tunnel. Link headed down the tunnel and froze.

We were in a cavern. And lying on the cavern floor was a tremendous cannon, very much like the one in the theme park on Lake Hylia. But it seemed to be broken.

"Link?!" Shad had appeared, no doubt attracted by the thumping of the moving statue. He found Link staring at the massive cannon.

"How in the blazes did you move that statue?! And… what's this?" He asked, gazing in awe at the cannon.

He stepped closer to it.

"Amazing! Spectacular! This must be the Sky Cannon I read about in my father's notes! I knew that my intuition was on to something when it led me here! …But how can one use this to get to the City in the Sky?"

Link walked around to the other side of the cannon. When Shad couldn't see us anymore, I emerged.

"A cannon, huh? What do you plan to do with this, Link?"

"We could take it to that strange cannon guy at Lake Hylia," Link suggested. "Maybe he could fix it. It sure looks like it's broken."

"…Except that guy's still watching us…" I wasn't about to warp the cannon when Shad was staring right at it.

Link walked up to Shad, not sure what to say to make him leave.

"Ahh!" Shad said, getting the picture. "Perhaps… I am in your way? Well, forgive me for not realizing! I should just disappear at times like this, really. So… Let me know the results another time, Link."

Shad started for the tunnel again, but stopped. "…Ah yes! Let me give you one last piece of advice. That seems to be broken, so you'd do well to show it to a cannon expert first, I should say! Farewell!" And this time he really did leave.

"I wonder if I put him off," I muttered, appearing again. I wasn't sure that Shad hadn't seen me. Anyone might have been a bit startled to see… well… someone like me.

But now we were ready to warp!

I turned Link into a wolf so he'd be ready to go, and then I hovered over the cannon. With my twilight hand, I sent a bolt of twilight magic out to surround the contraption. And then I used my magic to shove it into the air and dissolve it into twilight particles. And then I pulled Link and myself up through the portal.

We emerged over the gleaming blue lake and I set the cannon down on the bank near the fridge to the cannon guy's hut.

Link didn't waste any time, but headed out to meet Fyer.

"Hey, buddy," Fyer said. He looked across to where our cannon was.

"So… Uh, is that yours? Heh heh… Hey, buddy, I never thought you'd get so hooked on fantastication that you'd try to build your own cannon!" Obviously we didn't build it, but Fyer didn't give Link a chance to explain. "So… are you gonna give me the tour or what? Looks like you have a serious rig over there."

Link led him over to the cannon. Fyer examined it.

"Whoa! It's kind of… retro, huh? And there's no ignition device, so you can't even use it. Listen, buddy, I suppose I might be able to fix it for you. I mean, maybe… That is, if you can pay me 300 Rupees… in advance. Whaddaya say?"

Luckily, many of Link's side quests had gotten him money (especially from the strange bug girl in Hyrule Castle Town). At least Link had the money. So he agreed. After all, what choice did he have? He knew nothing about cannons. Neither did I.

So Fyer began to work.

It took a long time. A few days, actually. But there was plenty for Link to do.

As Fyer worked diligently on the cannon, Link headed around Hyrule improving his strength. He learned a new sword technique from his skeleton friend, he won a big quiver from a freaky game in the Castle Town, he collected bugs for the little bug girl, he talked to the folks in Telma's bar, he practiced archery and swordsmanship, he rode Epona, he visited his friends in Ordon and Kakariko, and taught the kids some fighting skills.

And at long last, the cannon was done.

"Here we go, buddy," Fyer sighed, looking tired, but happy. "All working as it should… I think." He thinks, huh? Well, he better be right. I didn't want that cannon to blast Link and I into a cliff face. That wouldn't be fun.

"It may look like junk, but this thing's got some powerful innards! You're going to be knocking on the door to the heavens! Seriously, bud… It might be rough!"

Well, I never thought we'd be getting into the sky this way. Getting shot through the clouds by a giant cannon?

"So… I'm sorry for soaking you for the dough. I'll leave you alone, then. Heh heh… Well, you just have all the fun you want, OK, buddy?" He shuffle back to his shack, leaving us with out newly repaired cannon.

Now, how do we use this thing? There seemed to be a little hook inside the compartment. Maybe Link could get in using the hookshot.

So, he pulled out the hookshot and pulled himself into the cannon. But moments later, someone else joined us in the cannon compartment. Two someone's actually. Oocca and her son.

But we didn't have time to think about that, because suddenly we were launched into the air. We shot upwards with terrifying speed, and then when our momentum began to wear off, we started to fall. Link cried out, but the shout was cut off as he hit water.

Had we landed back in Lake Hylia? But as Link surfaced, we found that we were definitely not in Hyrule anymore.


	43. City in the Sky

Augh! I'm really starting to hate fanfic! I can't update a chapter anymore without there being some error! It better let me update my chapter tomorrow!

Huff huff… trying to calm down… In other news…

Another dungeon. I know I don't give a lot of detail in them. There's so many little puzzles that it would kill me to do so. But I hope I did decently. It's a cool dungeon, as long as you don't go falling into nothingness.

Chapter 43: City in the Sky

We'd landed in a small pool. And we were surrounded by clouds. Well, it was more like we were ABOVE the clouds. And strange towers of a large temple loomed ahead of us. Well, we'd certainly reached the City in the Sky.

Then, with a plop, Ooccoo and Ooccoo Jr. Landed in the water beside us. Before we could take a better look around, Ooccoo started talking again.

"Phew! Gracious, we made it back! Finally! Welcome, adventurer! This is the sky city of the Oocca. Erm, since you came all this way… I guess I can give you a tour of the city. EEEEEK!"

It wasn't hard to see what she'd screamed about. With a rush of wind, a tremendous dragon flew overhead. It roared and turned behind a tower and out of sight.

With a squawking sound, another Oocca waddled to the pond where Link was still floating. He paddled over and scrambled onto solid ground.

"Ooh, goodness… Brave adventurer, you won't believe it!" Ooccoo squawked. "There's a dragon raging outside the city walls."

Really? We hadn't noticed.

"Ooh, I'm terribly worried about everyone… I'm going to check in that shop for survivors." Oocca flapped wildly away down the path.

"Man, what's with these things?" I muttered. "And I wonder why Oocca was down in Hyrule. Did she fall down there or something? They don't look like the best fliers with those tiny wings."

Link shrugged. "Who knows?"

And to add to our troubles, there was a dragon flying around causing havoc. Nothing can be simple anymore.

Link peered over the wall that lined the pathway and turned very pale. I didn't blame him. We were floating in the air. The whole city was. We knew we were headed for a city in the sky, but hearing about it and seeing it for ourselves isn't the same thing. How did it stay floating?

Below us was absolutely nothing but cloud for who knows how long. Falling would end this adventure very unpleasantly. And you'd have plenty of time to think about what was at the bottom as you were falling.

Link followed the Oocca down the path and through a door. And we were inside the shop Ooccoo had mentioned.

She spotted us as we entered.

"Ooh… Erm, sorry for earlier, adventurer. Ooh! But you're planning on walking around the city and taking it in, right? I'm worried about the others and this is an emergency! I can't just stand around waiting! Please take me, too! I won't help you warp to the surface, but I WILL bring you back to this shop anytime!"

Well, we had another strange Oocca with us. Again.

Time to get going.

We left the shop and headed down the pathway. A sudden gust of wind nearly sent Link off the pathway. He grabbed a tuft of grass and held on tight until the wind subsided. This would be very treacherous going.

Link slowly and carefully headed around away from the shop and to towards the towers. He opened the door and headed in.

It was somewhat run-down. Did the Oocca really build this place? Somehow I had trouble believing that. I mean… they didn't even have hands. Hmm. There were mysteries in this place. But they would have to wait. Right now we faced a more pressing problem. The doorway we needed to pass through was on the other side of the room. And the middle of the floor was gone. There was no way to get across. And one wrong step would send Link falling a LONG way back to Hyrule.

But there were Oocca around. They were stalking the temple like bizarre chickens, occasionally sending Link a slightly interested glance.

At the risk of being rude to his hosts, Link did the only thing he could do. He grabbed an Oocca and jumped off the ledge. The Oocca flapped and squawked madly, and the result was Link drifted lightly across the crevasse and landed safely on the opposite side. He set the Oocca down.

"Thanks." The Oocca didn't speak English though. Chattering to itself, annoyed, and shuffled away from the rude human.

And so we made our way through the rest of the dungeon. Unfortunately, there were many other areas where large sections of floor were missing. The claw shot turned into Link's best friend.

We also discovered that there was more than one part to the city. We had to find retracted bridges and use the spinner to extend them. The whole thing was incredibly nerve-wracking. There were dozens of instances where I was sure that Link would fall off the walkways and into the abyss of sky beneath us. But he proved to have very good balance. And I proved to have good reflexes. Whenever he slipped, I had to pop out and push him back onto solid ground. It was clear from the beginning that this dungeon wasn't too friendly to people without wings. But we hadn't seen the worst of it.

After we'd roamed around some, we got another sight of the dragon. We'd just crossed a bridge from one section of the island to another when it dropped out of the sky and slammed into the bridge, demolishing it. Well, no getting back that way.

Further into the city, we were attacked by a strange winged lizard creature a little larger than Link. It flew around with its shield held in front of it, blocking Link's arrows. Then Link pulled out the clawshot and hooked onto the shield, dragging the mini-dragon to the ground where Link could use his sword. It wasn't too hard to kill compared to other monsters we'd faced. But it was an agile enemy who wasn't willing to die easily.

And then we found another clawshot. Another? Why would we need two of them? Link already had one.

Well, I was wrong. It was incredibly useful. Now Link could clawshot onto a surface, and while hanging from it, he could use the second clawshot to latch onto another surface. He could jump from ledge to ledge almost as effectively as if he had wings. And it made passage through this strange temple much safer.

Until we met the dragon again.

We finally found our way to the very top of the City in the Sky. It was a massive platform with a ring of four tall columns around the perimeter. Fierce gales whipped past occasionally.

Link stepped out into the center of the battlefield, and a flapping sound made him look up. And of course, there was the dragon from before. No doubt another beast controlled by the last mirror fragment.

It swooped overhead, roaring at Link. It soared away and circled around. Link kept his eye on it, which was lucky because it swooped around, trying to rake at Link with its claws. Link dodged, but the force of its wing beats almost sent him over the ledge of the platform. I quickly handed him his iron boots and he jammed his feet into them. Now he was heavy enough to resist the wind.

The dragon came around again and hovered in front of us. Then Link noticed its oddly shaped tail. On a whim, he pulled out his clawshot and aimed at the beast's tail. He sent it out and hooked on. The combined weight of Link and his heavy boots dragged the monster down to the ground. It crashed hard and several pieces of heavy armor fell off of its scaly back. It took to the air again and circled around, coming in for another raking attack.

Link hooked onto its tail again, dragging it down and smashing off the last of its armor.

And then we found its weakness: A crystal on its back.

The dragon took to the skies again. The wind had escalated into a full storm. Rain lashed at us as Link tried to find a way to get up onto the monster's back to attack that crystal. The columns. He could clawshot up the columns.

And then the goddesses sent us another bit of aid. Several strange hovering plants, drawn out by the rain's moisture, popped out of the ground and zoomed up into the air, making a hovering ring around the field.

Link pulled off his boots and I took them for him. He began to clawshot up the columns as the dragon circled, looking for a chance to attack. As Link hooked onto a hovering plant, the dragon faced Link and opened its mouth.

Link quickly hooked onto the next plant just as the dragon sent out a jet of bright flame.

Link dodged from plant to plant, keeping just a step ahead of the dragon's flaming breath. And finally he worked his way behind the beast and hooked onto its back. He zoomed through the sky and landed on its scaly hide. And he slammed his sword into the crystal on the dragon's tough hide.

It bellowed in pain and dropped out of the air. Link clung tightly to its scales as it fell, and jumped free just before it hit the ground.

The dragon staggered back into the air and Link started working his way up the columns again until he was able to hook back onto the dragon's back. And he drove his sword into the crystal, wrenching it around and cracking the magic stone.

The dragon roared, spewing flame, and dropped to the ground for the last time. It burst into nothingness, and from its remains sprang the final mirror shard.

Immensely relieved, I jumped into the open and took the mirror shard.

"Link, you did it! It's the fourth shard! Now we have them all! Hey… Link. The words of the sages… Do you remember them? Only the true ruler of the Twili can destroy the Mirror of Twilight. Zant could only break the Mirror of Twilight into shards… He couldn't utterly shatter it. That's proof of his false kingship." Link still didn't know that I was the ruler of the twilight. I still didn't know how to tell him. But he certainly deserved to know. Well, I'd tell him later. At a better time.

I opened a portal for him. "Link, we have to hurry! To the Mirror Chamber! After all, a fake is a fake… and no matter how much you dress it up, the real thing always wins!" And I was certainly dressed oddly. Much different than my usual self. But I was starting to get used to this form.

Link stepped into the portal. We were ready. We were going into the Twilight to fight Zant.


	44. Twilight Princess

Whoo! This part is cool. But SOMEONE spoiled this part for me by telling me that Midna was the twilight princess. Grumble. You'll get yours!

This chapter is a bit short. It's been a weird day. Our water heater had a nervous breakdown and started spewing water all over downstairs. Much of the day was spent drying everything and trying to stop the waterfall that was pouring into Mom's office. Well, time to get a new water heater.

Chapter 44: Twilight Princess

The dry desert air was a sharp contrast to the biting winds of the sky city. I felt myself growing tense as Link turned into a human and stepped towards the frame of the broken mirror. For a moment, the two of us stood staring at the one fragment of glass that was still stuck in the frame.

I took a deep breath in preparation for what was about to happen. The three mirror fragments drifted out of my Fused Shadow helmet. For a few moments they hung in the air, twisting and glistening with their strange power. A dark power.

Then, with several clunks, the mirror fragments snapped back into their rightful places. The crack sealed, and the mirror was once again whole.

Then the smooth surface began to glow. The chains that were holding the large slab of stone above ground dissolved and the it dropped to the ground, landing upright and sending out a spray of dust as it settled into place. The light shone from the mirror's surface and projected onto the face of the stone. Glowing patterns reflected off of the rock and seemed to sink downwards as though into an area deeper than the rock itself. The doorway was open at last.

"Some call our realm a world of shadows," I whispered, "but that makes it sound unpleasant. The twilight there holds a serene beauty… You have seen it yourself as the sun sets on this world. Bathed in that light, all people were pure and gentle. But things changed once that foul power pervaded the world."

I stared into the depths of the mirror's doorway, hating the idea of Zant and Ganondorf. Their reign would not last much longer. We'd make sure of it.

Then a familiar chorus of voices rang through the mirror chamber.

"It was all our doing."

I turned to find the five sages lined up behind us.

"We overestimated our abilities as sages and attempted to put an end to Ganondorf's evil magic. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive our carelessness…" they all bowed their heads to me, "O Twilight Princess."

I tensed. I felt Link's astonished gaze turn to me and he took a step back.

I turned away from him, clenching my teeth.

"What? So… you knew?" I whispered.

I glanced back at the mirror frame behind me. Past that lay the doorway to my world. My kingdom.

"As a ruler who fled her people, I'm hardly qualified to forgive you."

My mind flashed back to the scene on the balcony of the twilight palace. Zant was advancing on me, readying to turn me into this strange shape. I winced at the memory: me fleeing the castle, thrown out of my kingdom, and transformed into an imp. But even in that dark hour, help had come. The Fused Shadow had appeared. The one tool I could have used to defeat Zant. But I'd lost the other Fused Shadows. All we had now was Link's magic sword, and his growing skill. But it would be enough to destroy Zant. It would.

"In our world," I continued quietly, "we've long believed that the Hero would appear as a divine beast." My thoughts again flashed back to when I first saw Link dragged into the twilight by a monster. When he had first transformed into a wolf.

"That's when I found you. I thought I could use you, Link." I needed to tell him everything now. So he didn't find it out from someone else, as had happened only moments ago. He needed to understand that I'd changed since then. Would he still stick by me? Would he trust me? Even thought I hadn't told him who I was?

"And I only cared about returning our world to normal. I didn't care what happened to the world of light, not at all."

I drifted around to the front of the mirror, which was still projecting its light forth.

Link wasn't looking at me, but there was no resentment in his face either. He was just absorbing everything.

"But after witnessing the selfless lengths that Princess Zelda and you have gone to… Your sacrifices…" Link shifted his gaze back to me. "I now know, in the bottom of my heart, that I must save this world, too. There is not other way." And not just because our worlds were linked. There were now people here that I cared about. Even though only Zelda and Link knew of my existence, I'd grown attached to everyone we'd met on out journey: Colin, Ilia, Renado, Ralis, Gor Coron, Telma, Telma's cat, Yeto, Yeta, even Ooccoo. And I would do everything I could to help them and their world.

I turned back to Link, suddenly fierce and ready to get going. "If we can just defeat Zant, the curse on me will dissolve, and we may be able to revive Zelda." Once I was back to myself, I could return the power Zelda had given to me. Everything was reaching its peak.

I drifted a little closer to Link. "Let's go, Link! For Zelda! For all of this world!"

Link smiled and nodded. I smiled too. Everything would be okay.

The sages all bowed down to us, and they faded away into the air.

I dropped into my place in Link's shadow.

He stepped in front of the mirror and a glowing staircase appeared before him, leading towards the doorway into twilight. Once he reached the top, a bright beam of light blasted from the mirror and fell on Link. And then, once again, his body dissolved into twilight particles that flew in through the doorway into the twilight.

I felt the twilight enclose me, welcoming me back to the world where I belonged. I was home.


	45. Palace of Twilight

Ooh, I HATEEEEE yhese stupid hand things! The ones that try to take the Sols back! I got ALL THE WAY to the doorway, and then an enemy hit me and made me drop the orb and the hand took it ALL THE WAY BACK and I had to start all over!!! I HATE THOSE THINGS!!!

Chapter 45: Palace of Twilight

Oh, it was so good to see it again. My world. The twilight. The wonderful calming light fell on me and the palace rose up in front of us. But it wasn't my palace anymore. Zant was somewhere in there. But he wouldn't be in control much longer. We were here, ready to fight.

I turned around to see the portal back to the normal world. A golden doorway. We'd need to come back here to return to the light world. Even when we defeated Zant, our quest wouldn't be over yet. We had to deal with this Ganondorf fellow.

Ahead of us, I saw some figures standing in the courtyard. The Twili. I winced at the sight of them. Like me, they had been transformed. They now resembled the twilight monsters that Link had to fight so many times in order to gain a portal.

I didn't want them to see me like this. They hadn't been transformed quite as much as I had. They were still… well… tall. Even if they looked a bit monsterish, I didn't want them to see what had become of their princess. The one who had fled the twilight and abandoned them.

I jumped out of Link's shadow.

"Um, listen, Link… Can I ask you one last selfish favor? Regardless of what my reasons have been, I once abandoned this world. I left behind the Twili. Those who had followed me… Who considered me their ruler. Even now, as they remain here, suffering, they believe that help will come for this world. But if they were to see that the only help for them was a hideous little imp… Don't you think they'd feel let down? It's only for a little bit longer… Do you mind if I continue to hide as your shadow while you're in human form? I'm sorry."

"You think you're hideous?" Link repeated.

I was silent for a moment. I nodded.

"I don't think you're a hideous little imp," Link said gently.

I looked up at him. I was… touched. "Well… you may not think that if you'd seen what I really looked like. Hopefully you'll be able to see once we get rid of Zant." I paused. "But thanks." IT wasn't my normal shape, but I was starting to get used to it.

Link smiled. "Besides, I don't think the Twili will mind help coming from an odd pair like us. When I was trapped in a dungeon, a strange little imp creature came and broke me out. Even though I didn't trust her at first, now she's a very good friend."

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Link."

I sank back into his shadow.

Link walked down into the courtyard where the transformed Twili were standing. He caught sight of one of them and automatically drew his sword. He thought it was one of the monsters.

"Wait!" I cried, jumping out. "This guy isn't an enemy, Link. They might look different, but… they're inhabitants of this world… They're my people. Zant… How could he…" He wasn't content just to transform me. He had to do it to all of my people too. He'd face the consequences soon enough.

Link and I headed deeper into the castle.

Inside the doorway, there was a room of thick black fog. Link examined it, and then reached out and touched it. Instantly, he turned back into a wolf.

I settled myself onto his furry back.

"This black fog is made up of shadow crystals created by Zant. They blot out light. He's responsible for stealing the light from the spirits and turning your world into twilight. But he's not all-powerful. We're prepared too. I can return you to your normal state whenever you need me, so don't worry, OK?"

We slowly worked our way back through the palace. I wasn't sure what we would find, but we might find a clue. And as luck would have it, we did find a clue. In the very back of this part of the castle, there was a large stone hand about half Link's height. Its fingers were clenched around a glowing sphere with blue markings on the surface.

I sighed in relief. That was one of our suns. There were two of them. They might help us work our way further into the castle if we could return them to their rightful place.

"That shining sphere illuminates this world. It's called a Sol," I explained to Link. "It's like the sun of your world, Link. The power of the Sol is the source of life in this world… It is pure power. Ah! As long as you have this… Would you take this Sol to the Twili at the entrance to this world? Please, Link!"

Link, as always, was eager to help. He struck the metal hand with his sword, making it drop the Sol. He lifted the glowing sphere, about a foot in diameter, and started back towards the door. But he hadn't gone more than a few paces when a grating sound made us turn around. We froze at the sight. The hand statue was moving. It floated up into the air and slowly hovered after us. Link slowly backed away, keeping an eye on it. Suddenly the hand slammed down towards us. Link shouted and rolled to the side. He narrowly avoided being flattened by the hand, but he dropped the Sol in the process. The hand floated back up and started after the Sol, trying to steal our sun again.

Link whipped out his hookshot and used it to pull the Sol back into his hands.

All the way back to the entrance, we were dogged by that awful hand statue. It kept trying to flatten Link and take the Sol away. Only when we got outside did the statue leave us alone.

Panting and tired, Link carried the Sol out to the courtyard. It had taken a lot of effort to get that Sol away from its prison. But there were two of them. We'd need to find the other one before continuing on. Why did I get the feeling that the second Sol would also have a statue guarding over it?

The moment we stepped out of the doorway and outside, we came face to face with one of the Twili. The light of the Sol immediately dissolved the curse that Zant had placed on him. He turned back into his normal form-a tall human-like figure with long arms and short legs. His chest, face, and one arm were white and the rest of him was black. Turquoise markings spread across the black part of his body.

If we could get both Sols, the curse on the rest of the Twili would be broken.

Link set the Sol in its rightful place in the center of the courtyard. There were two nooks made specifically for them.

"Link… there should be one more Sol," I told him. If we can find that, it should lead us to Zant."

So we went back into the palace.

And after another grueling trek to the back the end of this passage, we found the second Sol guarded by another hand statue. And once more we had to fight our way back to the entrance while carrying the Sol. It was hard for Link to fight when he was carrying the large orb. He couldn't use his hands for anything else.

We finally reached the courtyard again. Link set the Sol in its place with a sigh of relief. Now we didn't have to deal with those awful hand statues anymore.

But the moment both Sols were in their place, they began to glow. They dissolved into pure light and flowed into the Master Sword. The blade began to shine with the power of the Sols. Now Link could carry the power of the suns with him as long as he was in the twilight. Its magic meant that we wouldn't be bothered by Zant's black for anymore. The light could easily cut through his magic.

"Amazing," I whispered. "The power of the Sols has been transferred to your sword. The guardian deities of my world are on our side too!" That thought gave me comfort. The gods of both mine and Link's world were trying to help us. With that type of alliance, we were sure to win.

"You really are the chosen one, Link… A true hero! As long as you have that sword, you should be able to repel the shadows Zant has spread!"

This was very lucky because our path ahead was blocked by the black fog that we wouldn't be able to pass through without the Sols help.

We were getting close. The sword allowed us access to part of the castle that we hadn't been able to get to before. And though there were still enemies in our way, Link had no trouble defeating them.

At last we arrived.

"This is it, Link," I said. I floated next to him in my solid form. "Through this door is the throne room. Zant is sure to be in here? Are you ready?"

Link took a deep breath. "As ready as I'll ever be."

I nodded, and the two of us walked through the door together.


	46. False King

Zant is such a freak! I spent this whole time thinking that he was some powerful dark sorcerer only to find that he's a spoiled, complaining crybaby!

Anyway, Zant finally gets what he deserves. He kinda… pops like a balloon? Hmm. I don't think I've ever seen a bad guy do that before.

Chapter 46: False King

He was sitting there, waiting for us. Zant. On the twilight throne.

He calmly watched as Link and I approached, but didn't say anything.

Link drew his Master Sword, still glowing with the power of the Sols. I floated in front of him.

"Zant," I growled.

The bottom part of his mask was open, showing his mouth and chin. He didn't say anything, so I continued.

"Isn't this ironic? Here we are, all thanks to the dark magic curse you placed on Link!" We wouldn't have gotten very far if Link hadn't been able to turn into a wolf when he needed to.

Finally Zant spoke.

"You speak of magic?" he said quietly. "Still your tongue for a moment, whelp, and I will tell you of both magic and the oppression of ages. The people of our tribe… a tribe that mastered the arts of magic… were locked away in this world like insects in a cage." As he spoke, there was a loud clacking sound as the upper part of his mask snapped back, revealing the rest of his face and those cold, cruel eyes.

"In the shadows we regressed, so much so that we soon knew neither anger nor hatred… nor even the faintest bloom of desire." He raised his arms up in a dramatic gesture. "And all of it was the fault of a useless, do-nothing royal family that had resigned itself to this miserable half-existence!"

So, he blamed the royal family of the Twili for allowing us to remain in the twilight? There wasn't exactly much we could do about it. Until this Ganondorf fellow came along, we couldn't really enter the light world. Besides, the twilight was a wonderful place. It was SUPPOSED to remove a person's anger and hatred. But Zant was so taken over by those two emotions that he resented the fact that no one else felt them.

Zant let out a high wailing moan and wrapped his arms around himself.

Link and I stared at his strange antics. He jumped up in the air and began stomping on the ground, having one of his tantrums like a spoiled child. He was such a weak crybaby! How on earth did he come to accomplish so much in the world of light?

"I had served and endured in that depraved household for far too long, my impudent princess." He suddenly leapt towards us, landing directly in front of Link and I. I winced and Link automatically raised his sword to protect himself. But Zant had already jumped away.

"And why, you ask?" he continued. "Because I believed I would be the next to rule our people! THAT is why!"

He spun around us, twirling in ridiculous circles like a spinning top. He honestly thought the Twili would choose him as their leader? A freak like him?

He dropped to his knees and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "But would they acknowledge me as their king? No! And as such, I was denied the magic powers befitting our ruler. It was then, in the thrall of hatred and despair, that I turned my eyes to the heavens… and found a god."

So that was Ganondorf. He'd convinced this foolish Zant that he was a god. Zant was nothing more than a puppet for Ganondorf.

Zant's mask had snapped back into place.

"My god had only one wish," he snarled. He suddenly vanished and reappeared in front of the throne again. "To merge shadow and light… and make darkness!"

Zant drifted into the air and released a tremendous force of magic. And our surroundings changed. Suddenly Link and I were standing at the bank of an acid lake in the forest. It took me a moment to realize where we were. We were in the chamber where we'd fought the giant plant monster in the forest.

Zant teleported again, floating out over the acid lake, and started shooting shadow magic at Link. He quickly rolled out of the way and tried to shoot an arrow at Zant, but Zant warped out of the way and resumed his attack.

"Link!" I shouted. "This is where we fought the plant monster! We needed to use the boomerang to defeat it. Try using your gale boomerang!"

Link nodded and snatched his boomerang. He swung it towards Zant, and Zant was caught in the mini-tornado of the weapon and dragged down towards Link.

Zant was temporarily dazed and dizzy by the whirlwind and Link had a few moments to attack with his sword.

Zant broke away and warped back up into the air. And then he changed the scenery again. This time we were in the Goron mines: On the giant magnetic platform floating over lava where we'd fought the Goron guard.

Zant leapt up and down, rocking the platform. Link was almost hurled into the lava, but I quickly handed him his boots and his iron boots clung to the magnetic surface.

Link was slowed by his boots and Zant warped out of the way before Link could reach him with his sword. Zant appeared behind us and started shooting shadow balls at us again. Link ducked out of the way and quickly pulled his boots off. He dodged Zant's attacks and slashed with his sword before Zant could escape.

Zant slipped free of Link's blows again and once more, our surroundings changed. Now we were in the underwater chamber where we'd fought the giant eel monster.

Zant appeared and attacked, and Link pulled out his clawshot to drag Zant towards him. Once more, Link got in a few blows before Zant escaped and switched the battleground.

Now we were in the forest temple again- in the room where we'd fought the big monkey. Zant was leaping back and forth from pillar to pillar. The moment he paused, Link rolled into the pillar and knocked Zant loose. Zant tumbled to the ground and landed on his head, giving Link plenty of time to strike. And again, Zant got away and switched the scene of battle. All these changes were making me dizzy.

I longed to help Link fight this monster, but I didn't know what I could do. I couldn't do any real fighting since I lost the Fused Shadows. Link was the warrior, not me. I could only offer advice.

Now we were in the icy mansion in the mountains where Yeta had been possessed by the Mirror shard.

Zant began to grow. To our amazement, he grew into a giant, towering above us. He tried to stomp on Link.

The weapon we'd used for this dungeon was the ball and chain. Link whirled it out and aimed for the only part of Zant he could reach: the foot. The mace connected and Zant howled with pain, hopping in place and clutching his foot. With each hop, he grew a little smaller until he was tiny. Link quickly struck at mini-Zant with his sword.

And this time when Zant changed the battleground, we were in front of Hyrule Castle. The castle was still surrounded by its magical shield.

Zant was normal size again. He'd used so much magic that he could no longer float in the air. Cursing to himself, he drew out two swords and came at Link.

Link braced himself, preparing for a real sword fight instead of some bizarre switching of scenes and weapons.

Zant came at him and swung with his two swords. Link blocked the blows with sword and shield, and dove out of the way of one of Zant's blows. He kicked out at Zant's leg, making him lose his balance. Link quickly rolled around behind him and slashed at Zant's unprotected back. Zant then vanished again and reappeared behind Link. Link barely dodged out of the way of Zant's frantic slashing. It was so close that Link's sleeve was slashed open. Link thrust his shield into Zant's face and ducked under Zant's swords as the false king wildly swung out.

Then Zant warped again. He suddenly began spinning like a tornado, holding his swords out as he spun. Link raised his shield, but not quite fast enough and one of the swords cut him across the cheek.

Wincing, Link backed away from the twirling Zant and holding his shield out to slow the wild blows. There was no way he could attack through the whirling pair of blades, and he couldn't pause to wipe the blood off his cheek.

Zant's frenzied tornado attack slowly lost its speed as Zant ran out of energy. The fool hadn't paced himself. He'd used all his energy up at once.

Link quickly dove in and brought his sword down towards Zant. Zant warped, but not before Link's sword slashed his shoulder.

Zant's attack was more erratic than ever before. He warped away from Link and came out waving his swords, then he warped again and started part of his tornado attack. Once more he vanished and came at Link with a normal series of blows, and then again. Then for a third time, he appeared with his spinning attack.

Link watched closely, waiting for Zant to tire. And when the spinning slowed, Link leapt forwards, bringing his sword down on Zant with all his strength.

Zant shrieked and fell to his knees. The surroundings dissolved and we were once more in the throne room of the twilight palace.

I came out of Link's shadow as Zant crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath and bleeding.

Suddenly, three dark shapes floated away from Zant and came towards me. They floated in a circle around me, greeting me.

They were the Fused Shadows. We'd worked so hard to get them, only to have them taken by Zant. Now that Zant was defeated, they'd come back to me. My Fused Shadow Mask took them and stored them inside it.

This was it! The feeling suddenly dawned on me. Zant was defeated and I had the Fused Shadows back! Now the curse on me would be lifted! I could turn back to my normal self.

I glanced down at my hands, excitement running through me. I waited to see myself transform. For several seconds, I waited, but nothing happened.

I gasped and desperately glanced around, hoping that I'd missed something important. Why wasn't I changing back into myself? Why was I still an imp?

"Y-You traitors!" Gasped a weak voice.

Link and I looked up to see Zant slumped in the throne.

"Traitors, ha!" I snarled. I was furious at Zant and horrified that I couldn't change back to myself. Luckily I had someone in front of me who I could take all my anger out on. "You want to know why none would call you king? It was your eyes, Zant. All saw it, a lust for power burning in your pupils… Did you think we'd forget our ancestors lost their king to such greed?"

Zant was silent for a moment, gathering what little strength he had left to hurt me once more-not physically, but emotionally.

"Midna… Foolish Twilight Princess… The curse on you cannot be broken."

The rage slowly bubbled up inside of me. Without my even realizing it, my emotions tapped the magic of the Fused Shadows that I now had control over. My twilight hand twitched, preparing to lash out.

"It was placed on you by the magic of my god!" Zant growled. He'd lost the battle, but he sounded triumphant that I would not be able to return to myself. One consolation prize for him. "The power you held as the leader of the Twili will never return! Already he has descended and been reborn in this world." Link, behind me, tensed at this knowledge. Ganondorf was back and no longer a spirit. "As long as my master, Ganon, survives, he will resurrect me without cease!" Zant let out another high wail.

Suddenly everything in me snapped. My twilight hand erupted out and slammed into Zant. The magic of the Fused Shadows followed my unspoken desire and fell upon Zant. He shrieked, and suddenly, he was gone.

My twilight hand shrank away into my hair, leaving me staring horrified at the empty spot where Zant had been. I was not horrified about what had just happened to Zant. What frightened me was the power I had just used. That had happened without me even realizing it, and it was more power than I'd ever felt before. What's more, I knew that was hardly any of the magic of the Fused Shadows. That sheer amount of magic I now held made me gasp in terror. No wonder the light spirits had warned us about this power!

"I… I used just a fraction of the power that's in me now," I said in a frightened squeak. "I did THAT using only a fraction of my ancestor's magic?!"

I floated in place for almost a minute, trying to calm myself down. Zant was out of the way. Now we had to get to Ganondorf.

I turned to Link. "Link! Now is the time! We must save Zelda!" I looked down at my hands, lost in thought. "The evil power Zant was wielding… I couldn't take it from him. But at least I still have the magic of my ancestors. With it, I can return the cherished power Zelda bestowed upon me." Now I had enough magic to save Zelda.

I opened a portal for Link. "Now! Let's go! Princess Zelda is waiting!"

Link nodded and stepped onto my portal. I took him to the front of the Twilight Palace. It was time to return to the light world again and fight the last battle against Ganandorf.


	47. An Ancient Power

Finally they reach Hyrule Castle. I still don't quite know why Zelda reappeared after she disappeared… but oh well. There are some unanswered questions throughout the Zelda games. This is just another.

Midna does look rather odd when she uses the Fused Shadows… like a mutant spider… Hmm.

Hee hee! Ganondorf is a funny name.

Chapter 47: An Ancient Power

We appeared at the front of the Twilight Palace.

"So, Ganondorf was just using Zant to help him return to the world of light," I muttered to Link. "I guess now we know the true nature of that barrier over Hyrule Castle. He's in Hyrule Castle, I'm sure of it! Princess Zelda is in grave danger! We must return to the world of light and hurry to the castle!"

"But… isn't Zelda dead?" Link asked.

I shook my head. "No. She gave her magic to me. She's not dead, just… well, I guess you could say that I have her life right now. I'm holding her power. That's the only reason I can remain solid in the light world."

"So we can still save Zelda?" Link asked hopefully.

"Yes. If we can get there, I can return the magic she gave me when she saved my life."

"And then we can get Ganondorf," Link growled, swinging his sword savagely. "He's the one behind all this, and we're gonna make him pay!"

"Great! Then let's get going!"

Link returned to the portal and the Mirror brought us back to the world of light.

Without a moment to lose, I warped us to Hyrule Castle.

The glowing barrier enclosing the castle loomed over us as we made our way through town towards the palace gates.

The town was eerily quiet. No one passed by us as Link walked towards the barrier. We stepped through the first set of gates and Link stared up at the glowing shield.

I emerged and floated along in front of Link. I landed in front of the barrier, wondering how we were going to get through. No doubt this was the time to put the Fused Shadows to work. But HOW would they work?

As if they sensed my thoughts, the three Fused Shadows appeared and floated around me. I blinked and stared at them. They looked like they had a life of their own.

They angled in towards me, and suddenly with a loud THUNK, all three pieces closed in on me, locking together with my mask and forming a helmet covering my entire head.

I let out a frightened squeak and tried to pull the helmet off of my head. But suddenly my arms fell limp to my sides. Something else was filling me. I didn't feel like I had control anymore.

The Fused Shadow helmet began to vibrate and rumble. Suddenly its magic burst into life. I wasn't prepared for the force, and it slammed me sideways into the wall. I let out a cry. Another jet of magic sent me flying again and crashing into the other wall. Then the magic carried me up and I landed on the top of the wall.

I couldn't see Link anymore, but what happened next completely drove that out of my mind.

The magic was filling me, taking me over.

I was changing. The power of the Fused Shadows was building another form around me-a form of pure energy. I saw what was happening without being able to stop it. A glowing black and gold form appeared around me. Seven arms sprouted from the center of the Fused Shadow's body. The helmet was about where the spider's head would be.

I wasn't myself. I wasn't in control of this massive magic body. But my motive remained strong: Destroy the barrier around Hryule Castle.

One of the massive gold arms reached up and clamped down on the wall. It lifted itself up and stood for a moment on the edge of the wall in front of the magic barrier. Through the helmet, I caught a brief glimpse of Link standing below me, staring at me, terrified at what he was seeing.

But suddenly the Fused Shadow beast that I had become leapt up into the air, rocketing up along the barrier. I landed on the slick surface of the shield and scuttled upwards like a spider.

One of the arms stretched back, as though it wielded a weapon, and a bright gold spear appeared in the magical arm. I stood, poised to strike, and then the arm plunged the twilight spear into the barrier.

It shattered. The entire barricade cracked and began to fall apart. The fragments of the magic were flung into the air and they dissolved into nothing. Hyrule Castle stood once again high and powerful, un-barricaded by dark magic.

The power of the Fused Shadows dissolved. The helmet broke into pieces again, and the magical body around me faded away.

I felt dizzy. My body felt so small and insignificant compared to the huge spider monster that I had been for no more than a minute.

The barrier was no longer under me. I dropped towards the ground, passing out before I'd fallen ten feet.

I felt rain. But I also felt warm and safe.

I opened my eyes to see Link looking down at me, concern in his eyes.

It took me a moment to realize what had happened. I'd passed out after I'd broken the barrier. Link must have caught me as I fell, because I was in his arms. I might have blushed when I realized that, since my first thought had been how warm and safe I felt.

Link smiled as I woke. He then looked up beyond me. I followed his gaze.

The barrier was gone. Hyrule Castle was open once again.

Link gently let go of me, letting me drift away. I turned away, because I definitely felt myself blushing.

"You did it, Midna," Link said, smiling. "You broke Ganondorf's magic."

I nodded, not looking directly at him. "Your turn. Time to storm the castle and rescue the princess," I replied, trying to sound calmer than I felt.

Link laughed. "That's one way of putting it."

He didn't mention anything about the strange transformation that I had just undergone. No doubt it had worked, but it had terrified me. Neither of us knew what was going to happen, but we sure didn't expect that. Link was calm now that I looked normal again, but when he saw me as that giant spider thing, he'd definitely looked scared. And without a doubt, Link was one of the bravest people I'd ever met. He wasn't scared about the monster. He'd dealt with plenty of monsters so far without so much as a shudder of fear. What scared him was that _I _had turned into a monster. Someone he cared about had turned into something as massive, powerful, and frightening as what I had just become.

That sensation… when the Fused Shadows took me over… it left a hollow feeling inside me. But the feeling of being in Link's arms… filled that hollow feeling with warmth.

I quickly ducked back in his shadow to try to get control over my emotions. Link turned, unaware of the tangled emotions in me, and pushed open the gates to the courtyard of Hyrule Castle.


	48. Hyrule Castle

So, Dougthedino requested that I write a fanfic. The topic: what would Midna get Link for a Christmas present? So, I just finished it. I'll put it up the moment I'm done with this! Please check it out and tell me what you think! I hope I did it justice.

Chapter 48: Hyrule Castle

Icy rain pounded down in the courtyard of Hyrule Castle. Monstrous birds circled ominously overhead, threatening to swoop low in attack at the first sight of a trespasser.

Link cautiously moved towards the front door of the castle. He kept towards the hedges, trying to remain out of sight of the birds as long as possible. When one swooped down on him, beak gaping and talons outstretched, Link brought his sword down on its head. He was in no mood to fool around. This whole thing would end today. Anything that got in his way would pay.

Link reached to front gates only to find them locked shut. He growled and turned away, facing the large courtyard full of hidden foes. Hopefully we'd be able to find a key somewhere.

I could tell Link was getting impatient. Every delay annoyed him. I actually felt the same. I wanted this evil time to end!

Link roamed around the rainy courtyard, finishing off all the little goblins that were plaguing the beautiful grounds of the palace. We headed around to the back of the palace.

Suddenly something huge leapt off of the wall above us. He landed directly in front of us with a resounding thud that made the ground shudder. It was none other than the giant ogre, King Bulblin. Why did that not surprise me. He was wielding a massive ax twice his own height. There was a key looped around his belt. No doubt the key for the door into the castle.

He stared down at Link and bellowed "I have come to play!"

I was so staggered that I almost fell out of Link's shadow. That monster could actually speak? All this time I thought he was nothing more than a brainless sack of muscle and fat.

Suddenly the ogre king brought his ax down towards Link. He rolled out of the way, drawing his sword. King Bulblin blocked a blow of Link's sword with the ax handle. He knocked Link's sword out of the way and then swung his ax around, forcing Link to back away. But the weapon was so big and heavy that it took King Bulbin a minute to prepare another blow. Link ferociously charged forwards, slashing with the Master Sword. He rolled out of the way, fighting like a mad thing and dodging every single one of the king's blows. Startled by the fierceness of Link's attack, King Bulblin slowly backed away, trying desperately to block Link's increasingly powerful attacks. Then Link swung with once more, smashing the flat of his sword on the ogre's head. Without pausing, he swung around and sliced the blade of the sword directly through the handle of the ax. One last blow and King Bulblin reeled back, groaning.

Panting hard, Link took a couple steps backwards, eying the monster. It took a moment to regain its balance, and then reached down to his belt and pulled off the key that was hanging there.

Link stared blankly as King Bulblin held the key out.

"Enough," King Bulblin growled hoarsely.

Link blinked and accepted the key automatically.

A sound like rumbling thunder made Link look up. The massive white boar had pounded into the field. King Bulblin swung into the saddle and looked down at Link.

"I follow the strongest side!" he bellowed. "That is all I have ever known." He whipped the reigns and the boar thundered away, and the two creatures vanished around the castle, never to bother us again.

Feeling slightly dazed, I sprang out of the shadows.

"Link… He… He spoke."

We made our way back to the front door a Link used the key he'd won in battle. The doors creaked open and Link stepped inside.

It was completely empty. A few torches cast an eerie flickering glow about the main hall.

The staircase leading to the upper levels had been smashed. Luckily, Link was able to use his hookshot to latch onto a chandelier and bring himself up to the balcony.

He made his way through winding corridors, destroying the enemies that plagued Zelda's palace. We fought one of those dark knights through the first door. I'd never seen Link so savage.

Once the knight was defeated, I emerged.

"No one's gonna want to get in your way now," I noted lightly. "You're sure fierce today."

Panting hard from his battles, Link nodded. "So were you," he replied.

"Well, that's true," I admitted, remembering how I'd destroyed the barrier with the Fused Shadows. "I guess we're a bit eager to end this and teach Ganondorf a lesson. Then we can save Zelda."

Link nodded and continued on.

The enemies here were harder than they'd been in all the other dungeons. But Link destroyed them all easily with the skill he'd gained throughout the quest. We made out way onto a balcony. We needed the key to the throne room. We'd discovered that it was on this balcony. Link headed out towards the other end of the walkway.

Suddenly a little goblin appeared on the wall high above us. It had a bow with a flaming arrow knocked into place. It was aiming directly at Link.

Before Link had time to react, the goblin had released the arrow.

Something brown streaked out of nowhere, knocking the arrow straight out of the air. Link blinked down as the arrow clattered to his feet. Suddenly another arrow shot out from nowhere and struck the goblin. It screeched and fell off of the wall. Several dinosaur monsters charged across towards us, but a bomb exploded from nowhere and sent all of them flying off the balcony.

Link glanced around, trying to find the source of the arrows and bombs. Who had come to his aid?

The brown thing that had stopped the arrow swooped overhead. It was the hawk. It glided low into the main courtyard of the castle and landed on the outstretched arm of a man dressed in armor. Rusl. And with him were Shad, Auru, and Ashei. Auru was holding a cannon.

Rusl waved up to Link, who smiled and waved back.

The hawk took to the air once more and our four allies charged into the castle, ready to help clear out all the foes that we hadn't killed yet. Now we were free to find Ganondorf and rescue Zelda.

We headed back into the palace and faced the large locked doors to the throne room. Ganondorf was in there. He must be.

There was one last knight guarding the doors. Link swiftly dealt with him and then unlocked the doors with the key he'd discovered. He stepped through them and we were outside again, on one of the tiers of the roof. The throne room was directly above us.

I emerged to hover bedside Link as he worked his way up around the ramp to the Hylian throne room.

We nodded to each other. There was no need for words now. Only actions. This would be a battle to remember. The two of us stepped inside.


	49. The Last Battle

REALLY EXCITING PART!! I hope you all enjoy it! It's really long. I couldn't think of a good way to break it up. But I bet some of you would be annoyed if I stopped in the middle of the final fight anyway, huh?

Anyone beside me find it disturbing how Zelda talks with a man's voice when Ganondorf possesses her?

Oh yeah. For those of you who don't know (I know there's at least one) Midna doesn't die, but you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! Wahahah!

Chapter 49: The Last Battle

Link and I slowly made our way into the Hyrule Castle throne room. I glanced around, expecting the man called Ganondorf to leap out at any minute.

Above the throne, there had been the statues of the three goddesses: Nayru, Din, and Farore. But now the marble carvings were broken and shattered. One of the heads was lying on the floor directly in front of us.

Between the three broken goddess statues was the Triforce symbol. I tensed at what I saw. Floating in the center of the Triforce, held there by some magic, was Princess Zelda. She was unconscious.

But how had she gotten here? No doubt some sorcery from Ganondorf. I didn't know how he'd managed to bring her body back, or why, but only I would be able to return Zelda's spirit to her.

Link gasped as he saw Zelda's limp body hanging in the air above the throne. He started forwards towards her, but I held out my hand to stop him. I had just seen something of greater importance than Zelda's motionless body.

There was someone sitting in the throne, hidden by the shadows beneath the goddess statues. Part of one of the figures lay on the ground next to him.

"Welcome to my castle." He gave a low sinister laugh.

His castle. Yeah right. Not for long!

"So you're… Ganondorf," I spat.

Ganondorf slowly got to his feet. He was huge, tall, and bulky. He was dressed in armor with a long cloak. His dark face was bordered by red hair and he held a glowing sword. It was the same sword the sages had used to try to execute him. He'd gotten a hold of it somehow. And in his stomach-the place where the sages had stabbed him with the light sword, was a glowing gash. I shuddered.

He eyed us as though we were nothing more than a fly buzzing around-nothing dangerous, just an annoyance to be swatted.

"I've been dying to meet you," I growled, grinning at him and showing my fang. He was the one behind Zant and all the problems in both my world and Link's. So, this was who we were up against.

"Your people have long amused me, Midna," Ganondorf said. So, he knew who I was. That wasn't too surprising since he was Zant's "master" before Zant died. "To defy the gods with such petty magic, only to be cast aside… How very pathetic." Pathetic, huh? We'd see how I felt once he got a taste of my power!

"Pathetic as they were, though, they served me well. Their anguish was my nourishment." I felt the fury building inside me. If it was even possible, I hated this man even more than Zant. Zant had been truly pathetic. A puppet. This man in front of us had power, and he was using it for nothing but destruction.

Ganondorf clenched his fist. "Their hatred bled across the void and awakened me. I drew deep of it and grew strong again. Your people had some skill, to be sure… but they lacked true power." He paced back and forth, and then cast his eyes up towards Zelda. "The kind of absolute power that those chosen by the gods wield."

Ganondorf turned back to us and showed us the back of his left hand. The Triforce symbol glowed there, with the top triangle glowing brightest. The same power Link and Zelda had. Except they used it for good.

"He who wields such power would make a suitable king for this world, don't you think?"

"Ha! Such conceit!" I spat. "But if you are one of the chosen wielders of power, as you claim, I will risk everything to deny you!" I shouted.

Ganondorf chuckled. "Shadow has been moved by light, it seems…. How amusing. Very well… Deny me then!"

Twilight particles began to float up around him. I tensed. He had some twilight magic too. Stolen from Zant, no doubt.

"Yes, try to deny me… You and your little friend." He looked up at Zelda and reached towards her.

I gasped. He was going to do something to Zelda!

I shot up towards her. Link tried to stop me, but I didn't pay attention. I placed myself in front of Zelda, stretching my arms out as a shield for her.

Ganondorf suddenly dissolved completely into twilight particles. The cloud of magic drifted upwards until it was directly in front of Zelda. I winced and braced myself as Ganondorf's magic shot towards Zelda and I. But I didn't feel anything. It hadn't touched me at all. It had gone around me and entered Zelda!

I gasped and turned to her. I reached out with my magic, trying to drag Ganondorf's power out of Zelda. But it was no use. He was too strong.

I dropped my arm, and then reached out to Zelda's face. But before I could do anything, her eyes open.

For half a second, I caught a glimpse of evil yellow eyes, and then a blast of power sent me flying backwards. I bounced out the door and lay stunned on the ground.

I looked blearily up to see Link running towards me, but then magic crackled through the air and a barrier sprang up in the door, locking me out and Link in.

I slowly sat up, trying to clear my head. I felt dazed and dizzy from the force of magic that Ganondorf had used against me.

Then I saw what was happening inside the throne room. I gasped and jumped to my feet, pressing my hands against the magic barrier. But it was no good. I couldn't get through. I grit my teeth and watched.

Ganondorf had taken control of Zelda. She was holding a sword and floating in the air.

Link faced her, not sure what to do. He couldn't hurt Zelda! How was he supposed to free her body without killing her in the process? It was horribly clever of Ganondorf to possess Zelda. It meant Link wouldn't want to fight back for fear of hurting her.

Zelda raised her sword and suddenly a bright triangle of light appeared on the floor under Link. Link hesitated a moment too long and the magic triangle blasted energy upwards. Link cried out and was knocked backwards.

He scrambled to his feet in time to avoid Zelda as she swept in with sword held in front of her like a jouster.

She whirled around and a ball of bright energy grew on the tip of the sword. With a swing of the blade, the sphere shot towards Link. Thinking fast, Link swung his sword just in time to hit the magic and send it back at Zelda. She returned it, and it passed back and forth between the two combatants, growing faster with each swing of the sword. Then Zelda missed and the energy orb hit her. She cried out and hung in the air stunned for a moment. She recovered and swooped down with her sword again. Link rolled out of the way, but the blade caught his shoulder and cut a gash there. He winced, but quickly prepared for another volley as Zelda sent another energy orb at him.

Link's injured arm slowed his blows. He was able to return the magic sphere once or twice, but he barely managed to dive out of the way as it came in fast on Zelda's third return. Then again, Zelda sent out a magic orb.

Link swung his sword with all his strength and the magic rushed towards him. In rocketed back and hit Zelda. She cried out and this time the magic did its work. The magic crackled around her and she drifted back towards the ground. The barrier keeping me out vanished. I was back in the battle!

I pushed myself into the air and the three Fused Shadows floated out and circled around me. This time I was ready for them. They locked into place and I felt the energy body build around me again.

Link stepped back as my twilight arms reached out to Zelda. She was sitting on the ground, trying to regain strength.

I clenched my fists around the body Ganondorf was possessing and slammed it back against the throne.

Ganondorf cried out as all of his magic was dispelled from Zelda's body in a cloud of twilight particles.

I released Zelda and left her sitting in her throne, still unconscious, but now free of Ganondorf's power.

Link smiled in relief.

The scattered bits of Ganondorf magic gathered behind Link. He turned to face them. I took the opportunity to regain my old imp form and put the Fused Shadows away.

I leaned against him, looking smug. At least I'd gotten Ganondorf to let go of Zelda. Link smiled at me, a quick congratulations.

But something told me the battle wasn't over yet.

Link and I wearily eyed the thick mist that was forming in front of us.

Ganondorf;s magic was condensing. It came to something like a human form on hands and knees. Suddenly it let out a low groan and began to grow.

I gaped as Ganondorf transformed into a massive monster with huge tusks and a shaggy red mane. It reared up on its hind legs and came back down, landing with a rumble that rattled the throne room. That large gash I'd seen on Ganondorf remained across the beast's stomach. It also had a crystal on its forehead.

Suddenly it charged at us.

I dove into Link's shadow as he rolled to the side, out of the way of the thundering claws.

Beast Ganondorf thundered around the edge of the room and suddenly vanished.

I noticed vaguely that another barrier had sprung up around us. We were locked in again, and separated from Zelda.

Suddenly a glowing red portal appeared. It faded, and another appeared beside it. That faded too and was replaced by another one. This one did not fade, but turned blue.

Suddenly, the huge monster leapt out of the blue portal and charged towards us.

Link automatically drew his bow and shot an arrow into the beast's forehead.

It roared and collapsed, skidding towards Link. Link stepped out of the way and drew his sword. He slashed at the gash on the beast's belly. Ganondorf scrambled to his feet and vanished again.

Link waited, expecting a portal to appear again.

He didn't notice a shadow fall over him.

"Link!" I shouted. "Look out!"

Link dropped to the ground just in time. The monster slammed to the ground, directly over Link. Link ended up under its shaggy belly. Had he still been standing, he would have been crushed.

The monster stampeded away, and Link ducked between its legs, avoiding being trampled. Ganondorf turned again and charged. Link barely got his bow up in time to shoot.

Ganondorf toppled again, allowing Link to use his sword again.

Ganondorf snarled and kicked out as Link cut his belly. The monster thundered away and vanished again.

Link stood on guard, and once again, a red portal appeared. Link waited until one of the portals turned blue. Link raised his bow, ready as the monster dashed out of the portal at him. But the moment Link released his arrow, Ganondorf vanished again. He'd caught on to Link's strategy. We'd have to think of something new.

Ganondorf appeared, feinted a charge, and then vanished again. Portals appeared, and Link raised his bow, not sure what to expect. But again Ganondorf vanished before Link's arrow struck.

"He's changing his strategy!" I shouted. "Not only can you not confuse him, but you won't be able to attack! Beast against beast! How about matching an evil beast against a sacred beast?!"

Link nodded and I quickly turned him into a wolf.

I landed on his back, ready to help.

The portals reappeared again. Link and I watched them, waiting. Suddenly Ganondorf leapt out and charged towards us. Link froze, not sure what to do. But I knew what to do!

I reached out with my twilight hand and grabbed Ganondorf's head. He growled and tried to break free, but I held on. I strained with the effort, and finally shoved him over on his side.

Link leapt forwards and sunk his teeth into the slash on Ganondorf's stomach. He tore at his foe until Ganondorf broke free again. Again he disappeared and the portals began emerging. I braced myself, ready to grab Ganondorf's head. The moment he started charging us, I flung him to the side, Letting Link attack the weak spot on his stomach.

Ganondorf bellowed and reared up. He crashed to the ground and Link turned back into a human.

A haze formed over Ganondorf, but something else had caught my attention. An odd tingling sensation filled me. I looked down. I was glowing!

Sparkling golden light flew from my body back to Zelda. The power she had given me was returning to her!

The golden light filled her and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Pr-Princess… I… I…" I wasn't exactly sure what to say to her.

"Say nothing, Midna," Zelda said softly. "Your heart and mine were as one, however briefly."

Did that mean that she'd seen everything we'd gone through? She had shared my body and thoughts?

She had even left me a tiny bit of her own magic so I could remain solid in the light world.

"Such suffering you have endured," Zelda whispered.

I shut my eyes and dropped my head.

Zelda turned to Link, about to say something. But a loud sound made us all turn. Ganondorf's magic had risen again! Was there no killing this guy? An eerie glistening form hovered behind us. It laughed evilly.

Link and Zelda slowly backed away. But I didn't. All this time, I'd been letting Link do all the fighting. I'd helped sometimes, but now I was going to try my power against Ganondorf's. Let's see how he fares against the power of the Fused Shadows!

I took my Fused Shadows out. Link gasped as he saw what I was doing. He reached out to try to stop me. But before he could do anything, I used my magic to warp him and Zelda to Hyrule Field. This would be a fierce explosive battle. I didn't want either of them to be caught in the middle of it. I smiled as the two of them vanished to safety.

The Fused Shadows clamped into place and the massive spidery energy body grew up around me once again. Ganondorf too, was in a pure energy form. This would no doubt be a very interesting battle.

I twisted an arm around the light spear that materialized there, and lunged forwards towards Ganondorf.

Ganondorf reached an arm out and grabbed the spear before it had a change to connect. He shoved me away and pulled out his light sword. For a moment, we faced each other. Then each of us moved.

Sword clashed against spear. I reached one of my many arms around and slammed it into his head. He grabbed my arm and twisted it around, flipping me onto my back. With a bellow, I struck out, pounding down towards him with all seven arms. He slashed with his sword, making me back away. Ganondorf advanced and jabbed with his sword. I grabbed the blade, stopping its progress. It cut the palm of the energy hand, but I held on tight and smashed the shaft of my spear on his head. Ganondorf twisted his sword, cutting painfully into the fingers of my hand. I released. I didn't have as much feeling in this body as I did in my imp form, but the mangled hand definitely hurt a lot. But I could deal with it. Besides, I still had six other hands to use.

I reached back and grabbed the severed head of the goddess statue and hurled it at Ganondorf. He swung his sword up and cleaved it in two. It fell harmless to the ground.

I came in again, pounding with five arms, and wielding the spear with the sixth. But Ganondorf knew what I was doing. He was a fast learner. He'd proved that during the fight with Link. The moment I was in range, he slashed the sword at my arms.

I shrieked in pain and my spear clattered to the ground.

Ganondorf's hand clamped down on my Fused Shadow helmet. His power blasted outwards as he ripped my helmet from me.

I screamed as the twilight body was torn away from me. I collapsed, small and powerless. Ganondorf had taken my one source of magic: my Fused Shadows. He held it in one hand, standing over me triumphantally.

I was on my hands and knees on the floor, dazed at the sudden stripping of my power. Ganondorf took advantage of my weakness and dealt the finishing blow.

A massive explosion blasted through the room. I seemed to see it billow up around me in slow motion. I threw up my arms to protect myself, but there was nothing I could do against such massive evil power. I shut my eyes and waited as the explosion engulfed me.


	50. The Broken Curse

Since this is almost the last chapter, I wanted to thank everyone for all their comments! I have almost 200, but I still get excited every time I get a new comment.

I'm gonna get all my rambling out of then way now so I don't have to do any for the last chapter, coming up next week!

I love this part of the game!! I hope I do it well! Tell me what you think!

I do like Midna more as an imp, but She's pretty cool in her normal form, I suppose. In a very different sort of way.

And when Ganondorf died, I kept expecting him to fall over! Dead people with swords sticking out of their chests are supposed to collapse! Not remain standing! My friend told me that sometimes muscles clench up or something when a person dies, so it is possible for a dead person to remain standing… but it's pretty weird.

Then there's that strange scene with Zant cracking his neck or something? I translate that as meaning that Ganondorf was trying to hang on to life through Zant, but Zant was already dead. I guess that's what it means…

Okay, so some time in the future, I'm not sure exactly when, I'll probably go back and fix some of the chapters that could use some work. I fixed the first 2, but there are probably others that could be improved. If anyone has any suggestions for improvement, I'd be glad to hear them. So, when I end up editing some of the chapters, I'll tell the computer I'm adding a new chapter. Okay. I'll stop talking and get on with Midna! Since the chapter before this ended rather in a cliff hanger, huh?

Chapter 50: The Broken Curse

I waited. I waited for the explosion to hit me. Would it hurt? Or would everything just stop? I didn't know what to expect. I was just glad that I'd gotten Link and Zelda to safety. They could handle Ganondorf without me.

The next moment felt like an eternity. I kept excpecting the explosion to hit me, but nothing was happening. Nothing was burning my life away.

Very slowly I opened my eyes, not sure what I'd see.

I blinked in surprise. I was surrounded by light. Not the blinding explosion of Ganondorf's power, but bright, healing light.

I glanced around. I was over water. Glowing golden water, just like the springs of the light spirits. It seemed to stretch endlessly around me. I was kneeling in it, but it wasn't as deep as it looked. Or perhaps there was some magic that was keeping me afloat in this strange realm of light.

I looked up and gasped. I was facing four familiar glowing familiars. The light spirits were floating over me.

"Midna," Ordona called.

"Twilight Princess," Faron echoed.

"As long as Ganondorf lives, the curse cannot be broken," Eldin chimed.

"But you are safe here," Lanayru sang.

"The Hero will surely defeat Ganondorf and peace will return to Hyrule," Ordona assured me.

"And you will return to your land," promised the monkey spirit.

"The Princess calls!" Lanayru announced. "She asks us for the light to banish evil!"

The four spirits sank into the glowing sea of water around me, leaving me alone. I sat there for a minute, trying to get my bearings. Princess Zelda had called them? I had no idea what was happening. I sat up and winced. I ached all over from my battle. Having my magic stripped from me so suddenly and fiercely made me feel almost as bad as I did when Zant had shoved me in front of the light spirit after we'd defeated the water temple.

I didn't think I was dead. If I was dead, I wouldn't hurt so much. The light spirits had rescued me? They had pulled me out of the castle just before Ganondorf killed me. That was what Lanayru had done when Zant tried to kill me. Lanayru had transported Link and I to safety. But I was certainly not in Hyrule now. I didn't know where I was.

Ganondorf had taken my helmet. Heprobably thought I was dead. But then would Link and Zelda think I was dead aslo?

A blinding flash of light cut the air in this strange realm. I shielded my eyes, though the source of the flash was a fair distance away from me.

The light faded and Link and Zelda were standing there. They were here too! But they didn't see me. They were too far away. And something else was happening to attract their attention.

One by one, the light spirits rose up out of the water.

Oodona rreared up, Faron swung up upon its sphere of light, Eldin swooped down and clutched its talons around the glowing sphere, And Lanayru raised its great head.

All four of the light spheres drifted into the air and flew towards Zelda. She held her hands out to accept them, and with a brilliant flash, the power of the light spirits became a bundle of glowing magic arrows.

She held the magic arrows that had the power to overcome Ganondorf and turned to the hero.

"Link… Chosen hero! Lend us the last of your power!"

She bowed to him, pleading for him to fight one last time. Of course Link would accept. He would never stop now. Not after all this! Oh, I wanted to go over to them! But they were too far. They couldn't see me, and I couldn't float anymore without my magic. I didn't feel like I had the strength to move at all.

Link held his hand out to Zelda and she took it. With another flash of light, the princes and the warrior were gone. I was alone.

"Wait! Spirits!" I shouted. "Why am I here? I need to help them fight!" But I knew as I said it that I had no strength left. I no longer had the Fused Shadows, and not even the power that I had when I was in my true form. At the best, I would get in the way during a fight like this. But it was horrible not to know what was going on!"

A glowing window suddenly appeared in the air in front of me. I winced and stepped away from it, but I could see Hyrule through the window! Link and Zelda were sitting on Epona's back. They were in Hyrule field. On a hill above them was Ganondorf, on a massive black horse.

The spirits were letting me see the final battle!

Epona charged forwards and Zelda raised a bow with one of the light arrows knocked in it. Ganondorf turned and galloped away on his steed.

Suddenly a fleet of ghost horses and riders swept out of nowhere towards Link and Zelda. Epona swerved out of the way, barely avoiding them.

Ganondorf wheeled his horse around and raised his sword. Link quickly maneuvered Epona around in a loop so that Ganondorf remained in front of them. Zelda aimed with the bow and released the light arrow.

It exploded with a brilliant flash and Ganondorf fell limp in the saddle. Epona thundered up alongside Ganondorf's horse and Link smashed his sword towards the evil king. He swung so hard that the blade cut into the shoulder of the black horse.

Epona skidded to a halt, but Ganondorf's horse kept going through momentum alone. Suddenly the horse collapsed onto its side and Ganondorf was flung to the ground.

Ganondorf slowly pushed himself to his feet. He threw his head back and laughed.

"An impressive-looking blade," he spat. "But nothing more."

He raised his glowing sword and slid it from the scabbard. "Would you hear my desire? To take this foul blade… and use it to blot out the light forever!"

Link slid down from Epona's saddle and the two warriors stepped towards each other. Zelda remained on Epona's back.

Suddenly an energy shield sprang up around the two enemies, locking them in a ring of magic. There would be no escape from this battle. And Zelda wouldn't be able to shoot light arrows through the barrier to help Link.

For a moment, Ganondorf and Link stared each other down.

I was on pins and needles, clenching my fists and tense all over. I knew that this was the last match. It wouldn't end until one of them was dead.

Suddenly Ganondorf charged forwards. Link quickly brought the master Sword up and the two blades clashed together. Ganondorf kicked out and Link jumped backwards to avoid being tripped up by his foe's foot. Ganondorf swung his sword towards Link, who actually did a back flip and missed it by inches. Link ducked under Ganondorf's next blow and levered his sword up to strike the hilt of Ganondorf's.

Link rolled out of the way and leapt to his feet in time to block a blow with his shield. The two magical blades came together in a shower of sparks.

Link tried the back slice, but Ganondorf spun around and blocked it. The spin attack didn't work either. Ganondorf seemed to anticipate every one of Link's moves.

Ganondorf charged and brought his blade down, striking again and again and forcing Link backwards towards the magical wall.

"Link!" I shouted. I knew he couldn't hear me, but I couldn't help myself. "Don't get backed into a corner! Don't let him corner you!"

Ganondorf's sword slammed down into Link's shield with a crushing blow. Link cried out and almost fell over. He quickly regained his balance. Now he'd have to rely on his sword arm alone.

Ganondorf could see that Link was weakening. He increased his attack. Link fought with increasing desperation. He was gasping for breath and limping from a cut on his leg.

"Link! Link! You have a fairy in a bottle! Release it now! Hurry!"

I prayed that he'd remember the fairy, even if he couldn't hear me shouting advice.

Link ducked under a swing from Ganondorf and sprinted out of the way. Ganondorf turned and came at Link again. And to my relief, Link pulled a bottle out of his pocked and yanked the cork out. The red fairy zoomed out and circled around Link, magically curing his injuries.

The fight was on again. Link fought with renewed fierceness.

Ganondorf's blows were staggering. He was much larger and stronger than Link, but Link was faster.

Suddenly the two blades slammed together, locking at the hilts. The hero and the king of darkness pushed with all their strength, trying to knock the other off balance.

"Go, Link! Go Link! Get him!" I shrieked, pounding my fists against the watery surface beneath me.

"You think you can take me on in a show of strength," Ganondorf snarled through gritted teeth. "You, like your pathetic little Twilight friend, will fail! You will fail and Hyrule will be mine once more!"

"I am a hero," Link growled. "And a hero knows that he'll never give up until his kingdom is safe and his friends avenged! You'll regret what you did to Midna!"

"No matter what you do to me," Ganondorf snarled, "It won't bring your pathetic little friend back! She's,"

Link let out a fierce bellow with a tremendous shove, he slammed his sword and Ganondorf's into the face of his enemy. Link smashed the hilt of his sword down on Ganondor'f head and shoved his shield into Ganonodorf's chest.

The evil king staggered and fell backwards. Link leapt into the air, using the first sword technique that he learned from the ghost. He came down, using the momentum of his jump and his entire weight to drive the blade of his sword into the gash on Ganondorf's chest.

Ganondorf's mouth opened wide in a bellow of horror. Link stepped away from Ganondorf's broken body, trembling and exhausted.

The window in front of me faded.

I dropped to my hands and knees, sobbing in relief. It was over! Link had killed Ganondorf! I couldn't believe it! It had finally ended.

"Minda."

I looked up. The light spirits were over me again.

"Zant is dead," Eldin hooted.

"Ganondorf can no longer use him to avoid death," Lanayru continued.

"If Zant had remained alive, Ganondorf would have used Zant's magic to cling to life."

"But now the power of the Triforce has left him."

"He has nothing."

"Twilight Princess, it is time fore you to return home."

A cocoon of light wrapped around me. I blinked at the brightness of it, and when I opened my eyes again, I was facing grass and sky. I was sitting on Hyrule Field on top of a hill. Three figures were below me. One of them was dead. And two of them were people I knew only too well. The light spirits were floating overhead. For a moment they hovered there, and then they slowly faded away.

I looked down at myself and gasped. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.

I heard a gasp and footsteps approaching from behind me. They started out slow and uncertain, but slowly accelerated into a sprint. I didn't need to look up to know who it was.

The footsteps ceased as Link froze several yards behind me.

I knew why. I slowly stood up. It felt so strange. For weeks I had been nothing more than an imp. I'd been so small compared to Link. But now Ganondorf was dead. The curse on me was broken. I came to my full height, still not facing Link. I knew he wouldn't be able to see me since my cloak was draped once again over my shoulders. Would he recognize me now?

I turned towards him, Letting him see my true form for the first time.

Link stared at me. He didn't recognize me. Not that I could blame him.

"What?" Say something!" I laughed a moment later. "Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?" I teased.

A smile slowly spread across Link's face. The sound of my twilight accent and my usual teasing manner told Link all he needed to know. I was back.


	51. Twilight Becomes Night

Okay, I was planning on not commenting in front of this last chapter, but I just wanted to say one last thing.

There's a fanime convention tomorrow for a couple days. I've never been to one before, but I promised my friends I'd go. And actually, I only know 6 things that are anime, or related to it. Zelda is one of them. And since people dress up, I'm going as Midna. I figured that this story put me in the Midna spirit. I think I mentioned this earlier. And it was so annoying trying to paint Midna's patterns on a shirt/pants/gloves. It's far from perfect, but it's pretty good. Heheh. So, I finish this story the day before I dress up as Midna.

Anyway, I hope I do the ending well!!!!!

Chapter 51: Twilight on Hyrule

Everything was falling into place. All of the problems plaguing Hyrule were finally healing. The evil had left the land. People could breathe freely again.

There was a lot to be done. Hyrule Castle had taken heavy damage, especially the throne room. And of course there were the villages like Kakariko that only had a couple of its citizens remaining.

And the kids at Kakariko needed to be escorted home. Telma was kind enough to volunteer. It had been too dangerous to risk bringing them to Ordon, but now that the evil had passed, Hyrule Field was safe once again. No doubt all of them would be glad to be home with their families. Colion especially. I'd heard that his mother had had her baby.

Colin had grown tremendously since he'd been kidnapped. I was told that he now had his own shield and sword. Before, he had been such a frightened weakling.

A few weeks ago, if you'd told me that I'd be reluctant to return home, I'd have said that you'd been hit on the head too many times. But it's true. I've become more attached to this world that I would have thought possible. And though only two people knew of my existence, in a way, I had made many friends. Ilia and the kids, Rusl, Telma, Shad, Auru, Ashei. Renado, Ralis, Gor Coron, the cannon guy, Bo, even the monkey king. I'd grown to like all of them. We'd been helped along by so many people. Hyrule had united to fight the dark power. An evil power that now lay lifeless in an isolated valley of Hyrule Field next to a certain broken mask.

And there was Zelda. She'd saved my life and shared my spirit for a short while. She was a good princess. Kind and wise. She'd make sure Hyrule recovered beautifully.

But most of all, I'd miss Link. We'd been through so much. We'd saved each other's lives, helped each other out of tough situations, and we'd become the deepest of friends. The thought of having the leave Link… forever… I didn't want to think about it.

But the time had come. Now that things were righting themselves, it was time for me to head home. Back to my own world.

Zelda had told us of a path that lead to Gerudo Desert. Link, Zelda, and I rode slowly along the canyon path towards Arbiter's Grounds.

None of us were in any hurry. We knew what would happen when we got there. And we weren't eager for it. Even me.

Link rode alongside us on Epona. Zelda rode a white horse, and I sat behind her. I'd never actually ridden on a horse before. All the times Link had been on Epona, I'd been in his shadow. It was strange. Amazingly different from riding on a wolf.

As we rode along down the trail, I couldn't help noticing how much taller I was than Zelda and Link. All the time I'd known them, I had been less than half their height. I smiled. It was good to be back. But I'd have to get used to my old body again.

We all looked up at the sound of hoofbeats. On the canyon ledge above us, several large boars with goblins on their back stampeded by. But they ignored us. Something told me they wouldn't be bothering anyone anymore.

We emerged into the hot dry desert and Arbiters Grounds towered above us. Nothing bothered us as we made our way to the roof. There were no monsters left to attack our group.

None of us spoke. We didn't feel the need to.

We reached the mirror chamber. It was twilight. The sun was setting and it was the time of day that I liked best in the light world. Twilight here came very close to my home. I could almost feel it. It was a smoother, more peaceful feeling than the artificial twilight Zant had cast on this world.

For several moments we stood together next to the Mirror of Twilight, just appreciating each other's company. It would be the last time we'd meet. It was time for our worlds to part.

"Well…" I sighed at last. "I guess this is farewell, huh? Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know. But… Never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

"Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin," Zelda replied quietly. "One cannot exist without the other. I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world. They left it because it was their design that we should meet. Yes… That is what I believe."

I smiled. Perhaps that is why the mirror was left here. But it was too dangerous. If anything had gone wrong, it would have meant the destruction of both realms. No, it was too dangerous to leave the doorway between our worlds open. No more evil must be allowed to pass through.

"Zelda," I said, "Your words are kind and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you, then maybe you'll do all right."

I stepped to the front of the platform, in front of the glowing smooth surface of the mirror. The staircase appeared in front of me, beckoning me back to my home.

I turned back once more. To Link.

"Thank you. Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again."

Everything came to me at once. The thought of leaving behind this world and all its people. The thought of never seeing Zelda-never seeing Link again hit me. How could I do anything that would cause me to never meet them again? Good friends should never be separated. Why did the goddesses organize that we live in different worlds? Why did it have to be that we could not live in the same realm?

I felt a tear shining on my cheek.

"Link…"

The tear drifted away from me, floating in the air. It was a tear that held the magic that I rightfully owned as the Twilight Princess. But it also held all my sorrows and emotions. The hollow feeling that consumed me. The feeling that I'd never be able to see Link again.

I slowly reached out to the magic tear floating in front of me. I gave it a gentle push and it floated away.

"I…"

The tear glistened as it slowly made its way towards the mirror.

"See you later," I said at last.

My tear splashed against the center of the mirror. Immediately, fine spider web cracks spread across the patterned glass.

Link and Zelda both stepped towards the mirror, startled as the cracks spread across the smooth surface.

By the time they turned back to me, I had run to the top of the stairs, standing in the last beams of light that flowed from the breaking mirror.

I turned to them and gave them one last smile.

Just before the mirror shattered, its last fragment of magic sent me flowing back into the twilight. Away from the light, away from my old friends. I left my adventures behind me. It all existed now only in my thoughts.

My last sight of the light world, Link and Zelda standing together beside the cracking mirror faded.

At long last, I was home.


End file.
